Broken Memories, Intertwined Hearts novel Chapter 452

The folks from the IRS hadn’t left yet, nor had Ethan. The moon was high in the sky before they finally exited the Meyer Group.

“What’s going on? Did they find anything useful?”

Lucas shook his head, with a hint of mockery in his voice. “Nothing. The Meyer Group’s financial records from the last six months alone were enough to overwhelm them, let alone the records from previous years. Looks like they haven’t sorted anything out since this morning. They’ll probably continue tomorrow.”

Ethan nodded. It was just as he suspected. In terms of professionalism, those guys were pretty underwhelming, and unlikely to cause any real turbulence.

It was already past nine. If he didn’t head home soon, Ines would certainly start worrying. “Lucas, if there’s nothing else, you should knock off early too. It’s getting late.”

When Ethan got home, the living room lights were still on, and he could hear the laughter of the kids from a distance. His fatigue seemed to vanish in an instant. A phrase came to his mind. Home is where the heart is. Thinking of this, his steps unconsciously quickened.

Ines, even while entertaining the little one in her arms, hadn’t taken her eyes off the front door. The moment Ethan’s figure appeared, she handed little Ivy to Phillip and quickly stood up to meet him. She scrutinized Ethan from head to toe, only fully relaxing after confirming he was alright.

Ethan stroked Ines’ hair. There was a hint of helplessness in his voice. “I told you. It’s nothing serious. They can’t do anything to me.”

“Then why did you only come back now?”

“They didn’t leave, so naturally, I couldn’t either. I had to be polite, right?”

Ines laughed. “As long as you’re okay. You play with the kids for a bit. I’ll whip up some food for you.”

Ethan promptly caught Ines’ hand. “Let’s do it together.”

Camela laughed from the side. “These lovebirds can’t stand to be apart, even for a day. It’s like they haven’t seen each other in a month.”

“In their eyes, every day apart is a day wasted.”

The couple moved to the kitchen. Ines saw the leftover food from the afternoon had cooled and was a bit greasy, which was not to Ethan’s liking. So, she decided to whip up some spinach for him. She’d been helping out in the kitchen a lot recently, so her culinary skills had improved considerably. She quickly washed the spinach and sliced some garlic.

In no time, the sound of sizzling filled the kitchen.

Ethan sat on the side, watching her expertly dealing with the spinach. A smile spread across his face. He moved behind her, wrapping his arms around her. His voice was full of pride and affection. “Our Izzy has come a long way. She doesn’t even need my guidance to cook anymore.”

Ines laughed at his tone. “Honey, don’t use that tone. It makes me feel like I’m stupid. I’m almost thirty and just learning to cook simple dishes. If people heard this, they’d laugh at me.”

“There are plenty of people who can’t cook, even when they are old. My mom can cook, but not well. Noel’s mom doesn’t know how to cook at all. She can’t even tell salt from sugar.”

Hearing this, Ines looked at Ethan incredulously. “That can’t be true. And here I thought I was the clueless one.”

Ethan shrugged. “I’m not making this up. When we were kids, the Meyer Mansion was less spacious, and each family barely had enough room to live in. Many didn’t have the luxury of hiring help. Back then, Noel often came to our house for dinner because his mom couldn’t cook. If there was no one else at home, they would often get tired of eating takeout. His mom tried cooking a few times, but always failed miserably. Compared to her, you are a culinary genius.”

“Haha, if Phoebe really marries into that family, it’ll be fun. Phoebe’s cooking skills are on par with a professional chef.”

Although Ines had already eaten dinner, watching Ethan eat made her hungry again. So, she ended up having some food with him.

Ines added, “I don’t think we would develop romantic feelings if we met earlier. Our encounter now is just perfect -- neither too early nor too late. We are mature enough to handle different challenges and not to argue senselessly.”

Meeting early might bring passion and impulsiveness, but what did that really mean? After the heat of the moment, it might just end with a sigh.

After the passion fades, marriage is just plain sailing. Indeed, it is rare for first loves to last. In any case, she felt satisfied with their situation now.

“Izzy, you sure are open-minded,” Ethan agreed with Ines’ perspective.

Ines chuckled, then suddenly sneezed.

Ethan quickly removed his suit jacket and draped it over her. “Be careful. Don’t catch a cold.”

His body heat was still lingering on the jacket. Ines looked up at Ethan and gave him a sweet smile. Her clear, sparkling eyes were like the radiant moonlight sprinkled with stardust. Ethan felt a tug at his heart and planted a soft kiss on her eyes.

“Izzy, I really like your eyes,” he said. They were beautiful and captivating, always making him lose control.

“Am I really that unattractive? The only thing you like about me is my eyes?” Ines was slightly upset. She never considered herself a great beauty. At best, she was simply pleasant-looking. But Ethan was different. She loved every single one of his features. He was so attractive and assembled to perfection. But in his eyes, she wasn’t like that. Only her eyes were beautiful.

Ethan couldn’t help but laugh at Ines’ pout. He bent down and kissed at her slightly pouting lips. “Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. I fall in love with you at first glance. Doesn’t that tell you something?”

Ines turned her face away slightly. “Sweet talker, always trying to cheer me up.”