Chapter 5 My name is Lee

Evelyn called after him twice, feeling unsure whether to stay or go. She glanced up at the house, furrowed her brow, and, swallowing her annoyance, followed him in.

The exterior of the house had an ancient style, but inside, it was very modern. The walls and floors appeared old, but the furniture and appliances were brand new. Evelyn remembered how Norman had frequently driven a truck back and forth, likely busy furnishing the place. She wondered who these people were that made Norman so compliant, guessing they weren't entirely upstanding.

Evelyn quickly surveyed the place as Nathan spoke, "Miss Thomas, isn't it? My name is Lee, and I have a slightly unreasonable request."

Evelyn listened attentively as Nathan continued, "It's cold, and the food you bring here is always cold by the time it arrives. We might need to remain here for a month or two, and no one knows how to cook. Would you be able to come here daily and cook two meals?"

Evelyn suggested, "How about I buy a food warmer? Liam can bring the meals over, so they won't get cold."

"Work at Liam's company is also busy. I can't shamelessly ask him to deliver food every day."

"Liam has many subordinates. Can't they bring it?"

"We dislike the presence of strangers here."

Evelyn smiled, "Mr. Lee, I'm also a stranger!" She joked, but then seriously added, "I'm sorry, Mr. Lee, but I work at the casino and have a tight schedule. I can't manage everything. If you need a cook, I know a retired lady who is an excellent cook and has free time."

Nathan insisted, "We don't like strangers. We tasted your cooking the other day."

Evelyn felt like she was talking to a brick wall. She had fulfilled her duty for the day and wanted to leave quickly. As she was about to say goodbye, she heard footsteps, the sound of leather shoes on wooden stairs. The steps were steady and indifferent.

Evelyn saw the man in the white shirt from before. Today, he wore a dark gray coat, his clothes tailored perfectly to his frame. He descended slowly. Most people slightly hunch or glance down when descending stairs, but he stood straight, his gaze sweeping over the living room, expressionless and inscrutable. Evelyn heard the other three men exclaim simultaneously, "Mr. Smith!"

Jayce glanced at Evelyn and said, "The casino opens at noon. Now, come at ten to cook."

Pressed for a time, Evelyn tried to be patient. "Mr. Smith, I only agreed to cook for Liam. He delivers the food!"

"Fine, we won't force you." Jayce went to the dining table, opened the food container, and looked at Nathan and the others. "Why are you standing around? The food's getting cold!"

Evelyn was confused, not understanding what was happening. She had prepared to argue with Jayce, but he silenced her before she could say a word. She disliked this feeling, starting and ending everything controlled by someone else.

After Evelyn left, Nathan hesitated, "Mr. Smith, didn't you say she should come here to cook?"

"What's the point of forcing someone?" Jayce poked at the food Evelyn had made, as if inspecting it, not touching a single bite. He told the short man to bring food from the kitchen. "Besides, it's not up to her!"

Indeed, it wasn't up to Evelyn. The next day, Norman claimed he was busy again. Evelyn ignored it, but Norman said over the phone, "I'm injured all over, my hand's broken. I must visit the hospital daily and consider strategies for handling troublemakers. Given more time, I'd spare you from working too hard."

Even the casino owner intervened, surprised, "Evelyn, let Norman's men handle the casino. I won't blame you. Now Norman wants you to cook. Why refuse?" The owner sighed, her forehead showing more wrinkles, her face looking pale and haggard. "We really can't afford to offend him. Don't you know he likes you? He visits often, which he's never done before. Now he's even negotiating here, causing trouble..."

The casino owner looked around the wrecked casino, her eyes bloodshot and filled with tears: "I don't blame you, dear. You're beautiful and likable, and that's a good thing. When you first came here looking for a job, I didn't hesitate to hire you and let you handle the cash register. I trust you a lot. Please help me out, won't you? Let nothing happen again. I'm sixty years old, and I can't handle this kind of stress anymore!"

The owner didn't regret hiring such a beautiful girl like Evelyn for the casino. There were benefits, most notably, that Norman treated her with much more respect and wasn't as greedy with his "service fees" as before. But there were also plenty of troubles. Evelyn's good looks often attracted unwanted attention. Even the owner's son-in-law would visit frequently, if not for Norman making his stance clear. Now, the owner didn't dare fire Evelyn, fearing it would anger Norman and jeopardize the casino's business.

The owner's heartfelt plea finally persuaded Evelyn to bring food when Norman was too busy making two trips daily. She didn't have to worry about the casino's affairs, earning double her usual pay, but it didn't sit well with her.

Evelyn tasted her own cooking but couldn't understand why her culinary skills were suddenly in demand. She even prepared Parisian specialties she wasn't used to making, yet they had no complaints. It seemed they weren't particularly fond of her hometown cuisine either.

Every day, Evelyn observed the place, noticing it indeed didn't welcome strangers, as Nathan had said. For days, no one else visited. Once, she encountered one of Norman's men delivering gifts, who was stopped at the door. Sharing a similar fate, he sympathized with her, "They don't let you in either? They're so arrogant!"

Evelyn was unsure of how to interpret it. She continued delivering food on schedule, glad they didn't insist on her staying inside. All transactions happened at the door.

At first, Evelyn habitually glanced up at the third floor, catching Jayce's gaze. On a winter afternoon, with the sun high and a large ancient tree basking in the sunlight, Jayce leaned against the open balcony railing. The golden sunlight made him look strikingly tall and imposing, one side of his face illuminated, the other cold and harsh.

Evelyn quickly looked away, momentarily blinded. After the brief glare subsided, she took a deep breath. From then on, she avoided looking in that direction, yet she always felt a pair of eyes watching her every time she delivered food.

And it wasn't just one pair of eyes.

"Little chef gone," said the bespectacled man.

The short man glanced up at the window. "Mr. Smith is still watching."