Pampered By Power: The True Heiress Returns

Chapter 294

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Alice stared at Zane in disbelief. ‘He's actually smiling after being ignored?’ she thought, her eyes narrowing

suspiciously. ‘Is he losing his mind? But he doesn’t seem crazy. Ugh, whatever. | shouldn't meddle in grown-up

stuff; she thought.

Alice popped a piece of braised beef into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully. ‘Fine. Aside from being sneaky,

Zane's actually not that bad. He can cook, he’s presentable, and... well, he’s not bad-looking. He's definitely

good enough for Elysia, she thought.

Elysia, meanwhile, noticed Zane’s lingering gaze and tilted her head slightly, ‘What's he smiling about?’ she

wondered, her curiosity piqued. She took another bite of the food, savoring the flavors. “Zane’s cooking is really

good. | guess he’s been doing this for a while.

As she ate, a small plate appeared in front of her, filled with peeled shrimp. The scene felt oddly familiar.

‘Nicole treatedto a meal once, and Zane did the sthing-peeling shrimp for me. Ever since | met him,

meals have becso much easier,’ she mused.

She glanced up at Zane, who was focused on his task, his expression serious. “Eat up. | know you like these,” he

said, his voice soft but firm.

Elysia felt her heart skip a beat. “There's something about him,” she thought, her cheeks warming. ‘Even the

simplest gestures from him seem to have this effect on me. He's captivating’

Over the years, she hadn't met many men who caught her attention, but Zane was different. At first, she'd only

noticed how handshe was. Now, there was something more-something deeper that she couldn't quite put

into words.

Alice, on the other hand, was staring at Zane in shock. ‘Zane being this thoughtful? I've never seen this side of

him before. This is a first! But am | third-wheeling here?’ she thought.

She was about to suggest giving them salone twhen Elysia slid the plate of shrimp toward her. Alice

blinked in surprise. “Elysia?”

“Eat up,” Elysia said with a gentle smile.

Alice nodded, her heart swelling with gratitude. ‘Even if Zane doesn’t care about me, at least Elysia does. She

doesn’t think I'm in the way, she thought.

After finishing the meal, Alice stretched and yawned, grabbing her backpack from the couch. She was about to

head upstairs to her room when she turned back to Zane. “I'm going to my room to do homework,” she

announced.

“Okay,” Zane replied casually.

Alice froze. ‘Wait, he’s okay with it? Since when does he letgo without a fight? Isn't he worried Ill just slack

off?’ she thought.

“Zane, I'm really going to my room,” she repeated, pointing upstairs for emphasis.

“If you don’t want to go, you can stay and clean up,” Zane said without looking up.

“No, no, I'm going!” Alice quickly backtracked, but then she turned to Elysia with a hopeful smile. “Elysia, want

to cto my room? You can keep tutoring me.”

Zane's brow furrowed. “Elysia’s tired. If you have questions, I'll help you later.”

“Well, what if | just show Elysia around my room? | have so many cool things to show her!” Alice persisted.

“You can go alone,” Zane said firmly.

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Chapter 294

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Alice nodded. ‘Oh, | get it now. Zane didn’t wantto go to my room earlier because he wanted Elysia to stay

where he could see her. Makes sense. If we both went upstairs, he'd be all alone down here, she thought.

Feeling oddly proud of herself for figuring it out, Alice headed upstairs, leaving Zane and Elysia alone.

As Elysia loaded the dishes into the dishwasher, she leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, and gave Zane a

teasing smile. “I didn’t know you were such a good cook. That's impressive.”

“There's a lot you don’t know about me,” Zane replied, his eyes glinting with amusement. “You'll find out more in

time.”

His gaze was warm, almost too much for Elysia to handle. She quickly looked away, her eyes scanning the

kitchen. “Do you need any help?”

“A girl's hands are meant to be protected, not used for chores,” Zane said, his tone light but firm.

Elysia chuckled softly. “Whoever marries you someday is going to be very lucky.”

Zane's eyes locked onto hers, his expression serious. “Maybe,” he said, his voice low and deliberate. “But | don’t

know when she’ll finally becMrs. Hartley.”

Elysia’s heart skipped a beat. ‘Is he talking about me?’ she thought, her mind racing. She quickly looked away,

her cheeks warming.

She didn’t respond, instead focusing on Zane’s figure as he moved around the kitchen. ‘It's hard to believe

someone so commanding in the business world has this domestic side to him,” she thought.

Curious, she stepped into the kitchen, inspecting the space like a supervisor on a tour. She glanced at the

countertops, the stove, and the neatly arranged utensils. But when she turned around, Zane was right behind

her.

He leaned in slightly, his hands resting on the counter on either side of her, effectively trapping her in his arms.

“So, how's the inspection going, boss?” he asked, his voice lazy but laced with a hint of mischief.

Elysia leaned back slightly, creating sdistance between them. “It's going well. Keep up the good work,” she

replied, trying to sound casual.

“Any rewards for my efforts?” Zane teased, his eyes glinting.

“Rewards?” Elysia blinked, caught off guard. ‘What is he implying?‘ she wondered, her pulse quickening. Before

she could process his words, Zane suddenly scooped her up and placed her on the kitchen counter. “Zane!”

Elysia exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise.

Zane chuckled softly, his fingers brushing against her nose in a playful gesture. “When are you going to grow up,

Elysia?”

Elysia frowned. ‘I'm already eighteen. I'm not a child,’ she thought, though she didn’t dare say it out loud. ‘Why

do | feel so nervous around him?"

Zane's lips curved into a smile as he reached behind him and pulled out a set of keys. He placed them gently in

her palm. “Did you think | was going to do something else?” he said, his voice teasing.

“These are for my place in Royal Bay. It’s not too far from here. | know you have Arcanum House, but it’s a long

commute to school. This way, it'll be easier for you, and | can drive you to and from school.”

Elysia stared at the keys, her mind spinning. ‘Finding a place to live isn’t hard, but finding one I like that’s also

affordable takes time,” she thought.

When she didn’t respond, Zane spoke again, his voice softer this time. “You can stay there for now. If you find a

place you like later, you can move out then. Just don’t say no, Elysia.”

Elysia looked up at him, surprised. ‘How does he always know what I'm thinking?‘ she wondered. His expression

was so

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Chapter 294

earnest that the words of refusal cangia in her throat fremad, she not front andring

A satisfied smile spread across Zand'’s face Everything you need is alrently there all that’s mango your

“Thank you, Zane, Elysia said ierly.

“Don’t thank me,” Zane replied, his tone light but his eyes seria J] remember, ya ver con are

Elysia’s heart fluttered. “What kind of reward? the maker caricandy

Zane's smile turned sly. “No rush. Il ak for it when the tis right

AD

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