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Lethal Flavor The Waitress Who Came for Blood

NovelMaster new Completed

现实主义-Realistic

My shift had just ended. A stunning young woman I had seen earlier that day stopped me in my tracks and poured her heart out to me. I was just a line cook, covered in grease and barely making ends meet. I thought it was some kind of sick joke. To my surprise, she began waiting for me outside the diner every single day. "Liam, if you don't say yes, I'm not leaving tonight!" I stared at her in utter disbelief. "Aren't you with someone? Aren't you still nursing a newborn?" Her name was Chloe, and like her name, she always carried a faint, delicate scent. Because of my job in the kitchen, my nose was sharper than most. Even over the heavy aroma of fried food and seasoned grease drifting from the diner, I could still pick up the distinct trace of breast milk mingled with her floral perfume. She wore a tight graphic tee that hugged every curve of her body. The cartoon bear printed across her chest was stretched completely out of shape. Try as I might, I couldn't tear my eyes away from her chest. Chloe was drop-dead gorgeous. Even though she had recently given birth, she had a slim, elegant face with smooth contours, large eyes, and petite lips. She was nothing like those fake girls filtered to death on TikTok. Chloe was real—a living, breathing bombshell standing right in front of me. I was just a line cook, constantly covered in sweat and grime. Standing this close to her, I felt like I was going to ruin her pristine look. Besides, a woman that pretty had to have a man who guarded her with his life. As tempting as she was, I didn't want any trouble. Bringing up her baby was my polite way of scaring her off so she’d stop lurking around my job. Her cheeks flushed crimson, but instead of backing away, she leaned in closer. "Liam, there is no man." Her eyes welled up with tears. Seeing such a gorgeous woman cry broke my heart instantly. We were still standing right in front of the diner entrance, and everyone was getting off work. If my coworkers saw us like this, rumors would start spreading like wildfire. I grabbed her arm gently and led her to a quiet boba shop down the block so we could sit down. "Are you in some kind of trouble?" The tears spilled over her eyelashes. She told me she had made a terrible mistake in the past, moving in with a toxic boyfriend and ending up pregnant. The baby was born premature and fragile. After just a few days in the neonatal ICU, the doctors couldn't save him. Watching her sob so hard she could barely breathe, I felt a pang of pity and bought her a warm milk tea. "What about the boyfriend?" Chloe wiped her tears, her voice hardening with venom. "The minute he saw how much the hospital bills were piling up, he packed his bags and bailed. Left me to deal with it all by myself." "Now I have nothing left. My landlord kicked me out, and I don't even have a place to sleep tonight." Her story was truly heartbreaking. Chloe looked up, her gaze timid and pleading. She asked if I could help her out. I hesitated. I couldn't wrap my head around why she had picked me. I came from a dead-end town and had stayed single well into my thirties because I was dead broke. It wasn't until I moved to the city to work at my uncle Robert's diner that things started looking up. Business was booming, and my pay had slowly climbed along with it. Still, I was just a line cook in a small diner. There was a hard ceiling on what I could make. I pinched pennies every day, hoarding my savings. Even so, it was barely enough to cover a modest future. I genuinely didn't have the cash to play the Good Samaritan. Reading the doubt on my face, Chloe blushed and whispered, "Liam, it's okay. I like you, and that's why I want to be with you." She said she didn't need a label or fancy dates. She promised to cook, clean, and do all my laundry. All she wanted was a roof over her head and a warm meal, like two lonely souls holding each other up. She even promised that the day I met someone else, she would pack her bags and disappear without a fuss. Chloe was breathtaking, and she seemed more than willing to pull her weight. A gorgeous woman to warm my bed without demanding any strings attached? It was a dream come true for a guy like me. I was completely sold. I reached out and took her soft, delicate hand in mine. "All right. Let's head home."Chloe turned out to be far more capable than I had ever imagined. The minute she set foot in my dingy rental apartment, she immediately threw herself into cleaning. It happened to be my day off, so I sprawled on the couch and watched her hustle from room to room. From the bathroom to the kitchen, and out to the balcony. She scrubbed away grease and grime that had settled there for years until the floor practically reflected my face. "We have to clear out the trash regularly, otherwise pests are going to take over once summer hits." A stack of garbage bags lined the hallway. Chloe dusted off her hands and headed toward the bedroom. I got up from the couch and slid my arms around her waist. Even though she had carried a child, her waist was remarkably slim and firm. Her soft skin shivered under my touch. Looking down at her flushed, radiant face, my blood started to boil. "That room is where I spend most of my time. It's spotless already. You don't need to tire yourself out." Chloe let out a soft laugh and draped her arms around my neck. "Fine, whatever you say, Liam." "Can I still take a quick look inside, though?" We were both grown adults. We knew exactly what "staying together" really meant. The tension between us thickened. Chloe cast her eyes down, her cheeks turning a deep shade of pink. My hands slid lower to her hips, and I lifted her up effortlessly into my arms. "Of course you can." The bedroom only had a squeaky single twin bed with a cheap metal frame. It was definitely cramped for the two of us. I laid her down on the mattress. Staring into her pretty, delicate face, my heart thumped wildly against my ribs. The bed creaked rhythmically for hours. Once the dust settled, the reality finally sank in. I had struck absolute gold. How on earth did I luck out with a woman this gorgeous and shapely? Chloe nestled her soft body against mine, breathing softly into my ear. "Liam, thank you for giving me a place to stay." The best part was her gentle temper. She never argued, agreeing with whatever I wanted. Overwhelmed by heat, I pulled her back down into the sheets. Drenched in sweat, by the time we finally caught our breath, the sky outside had already turned pitch black. Obedient as ever, Chloe dragged her exhausted body out of bed, insisting on making dinner for me. I couldn't offer her much, but cooking was the one thing I excelled at. Besides, she had taken a liking to me in the first place because she loved the food I cooked at the diner. Now was my chance to show off. I patted my chest proudly. "Stay put. Let me make dinner tonight." I whipped up a simple meal—three home-style dishes and a soup. Nothing as fancy as what I served at the diner, but it was fresh and clean. I watched her face closely as she took her first bite. "How is it? Good?" A look of hesitation flickered across Chloe's face. She chewed for a long time before forcing herself to swallow. "Liam... does it taste a little different from the diner?" "Well, of course it does," I said, taking a forkful myself and chewing. It was indeed a bit bland. "I'll add more seasoning next time." Chloe put down her fork. "I don't think it's the seasoning... It just feels like... the food at the diner tastes so much richer, so much more addictive..." My heart skipped a beat. Chloe was a regular at our diner; her palate had been thoroughly spoiled. If she were just some random customer, I wouldn't have cared. But now, she was my woman. I warned her in a low voice, "Home-cooked food is safe and clean. You should avoid eating out so much from now on." A bright smile returned to her face. "Got it, Liam. From now on, I only want to eat what you cook." On our first night together, the bed proved far too small for both of us to fit comfortably. I volunteered to crash on the lumpy living room sofa. Before she switched off the lights, Chloe leaned down and pressed a sweet, lingering kiss to my lips. "Liam, I hate making you sleep out here." With a kiss like that, sleeping on the couch felt like a luxury. Once the lights went out, the narrow cushions made it impossible to sleep. I tossed and turned for what felt like hours. Giving up, I pulled out my phone and checked my banking app. After years of scrimping and saving, I only had about eight thousand dollars in my account. If I wanted to date a regular girl and settle down, that wouldn't even cover an engagement ring, let alone a wedding. I stared toward the dark bedroom. Maybe making things work with Chloe wasn't a bad idea at all. Just as my mind was drifting, the bedroom light suddenly clicked on.My eyebrows knitted together, and my guard went up instantly. I wasn't an naive kid anymore. Life had kicked me around enough times to make me wary. When a drop-dead gorgeous woman threw herself into my arms out of nowhere, I couldn't help but keep one eye open. There was nothing of real value in the bedroom anyway. What little cash I had left was safely locked away in the bank. Even if Chloe had shady motives, she wouldn't find a damn thing. Still, I fixed my eyes on the bedroom doorway, waiting to see what she was up to. Getting up in the dead of night usually meant using the bathroom. Yet I waited for several minutes, and nobody came out. Instead, a faint rustling sound grew louder and louder from inside the room. The old saying was right: the prettier the woman, the better she was at lying. Anger flared up inside me. What the hell was this sneaky girl digging for? I threw off the blanket, walked over, and shoved the bedroom door open. Just as I suspected, Chloe was standing right beside the nightstand. All three drawers had been yanked open, their contents scattered all over the rug. I lunged forward, grabbed her by the wrist, and shoved her back onto the bed. "What the hell are you doing?" Chloe tumbled onto the mattress without making a sound. It took her several seconds to blink her eyes wide open, looking completely disoriented. "Liam? What... what's happening to me?" Her voice sounded soft and childish, far more innocent than she had seemed during the day. I clamped my hand around her chin, staring down at her. "You're telling me you don't know what you just did?" Chloe stared back blankly, her large eyes swimming with sheer confusion. She lifted a hand to rub her eyes, but I caught her wrist. "I... I really don't know," she whimpered, her bottom lip trembling. I hauled her to her feet and pointed down at the mess on the floor. "Why were you going through my personal things?" Chloe gasped in horror, dropping to her knees on the spot to gather the papers. "I didn't! I swear I didn't mean to!" Seeing her look so terrified and submissive, I began to wonder if I had misjudged her. There wasn't anything important by the nightstand anyway. Just a few basic recipe sheets that Robert had handed me when I first started working at the diner. Those were the starter guides I had used to teach myself the ropes until I became the head cook. You could find those generic recipes in any bookstore; there was nothing confidential about them. The real secret sauce was kept nowhere near my apartment. I helped her up, softening my tone. "Chloe, honestly, do you have no memory of what just happened?" She bit her lip and shook her head. "I was fast asleep. The next thing I knew, you were shouting at me." A thought struck me. I remembered reading posts online about people who sleepwalked. Some folks could raid the fridge or tear up a room in their sleep and wake up without a shred of memory. Maybe sleeping in an unfamiliar place had triggered an episode. I leaned down, wanting to comfort her. Chloe yanked her hand away, stepping into her slippers as she stood up. "I get it, Liam. You don't like me, and you don't trust me. That's fine. At least I got to spend one night with you." She slowly unbuttoned the new pajamas I had bought her, turned her back to me, and pulled her old oversized T-shirt over her head. "Once the sun comes up, I'll pack my things and get out of your way." I paused. "You don't have a place to stay, no money, and no job." Chloe's voice choked with tears. "I'll figure it out. I'll find a diner job that offers room and board... I won't burden you anymore, Liam." How could I let her do that? A young, gorgeous woman with no one to look out for her on the streets? People would eat her alive. Besides, we had already crossed that line... My eyes traced her bare, fair skin, and I swallowed hard. I reached out, took her by the shoulders, and turned her around to face me. "You're not leaving. You're staying right here with me."

Chapters (3)

第1章

第2章

Chloe turned out to be far more capable than I had ever imagined. The minute she set foot in my dingy rental apartment, she immediately threw herself into cleaning. It happened to be my day off, so I sprawled on the couch and watched her hustle from room to room. From the bathroom to the kitchen, and out to the balcony. She scrubbed away grease and grime that had settled there for years until the floor practically reflected my face. "We have to clear out the trash regularly, otherwise pests are going to take over once summer hits." A stack of garbage bags lined the hallway. Chloe dusted off her hands and headed toward the bedroom. I got up from the couch and slid my arms around her waist. Even though she had carried a child, her waist was remarkably slim and firm. Her soft skin shivered under my touch. Looking down at her flushed, radiant face, my blood started to boil. "That room is where I spend most of my time. It's spotless already. You don't need to tire yourself out." Chloe let out a soft laugh and draped her arms around my neck. "Fine, whatever you say, Liam." "Can I still take a quick look inside, though?" We were both grown adults. We knew exactly what "staying together" really meant. The tension between us thickened. Chloe cast her eyes down, her cheeks turning a deep shade of pink. My hands slid lower to her hips, and I lifted her up effortlessly into my arms. "Of course you can." The bedroom only had a squeaky single twin bed with a cheap metal frame. It was definitely cramped for the two of us. I laid her down on the mattress. Staring into her pretty, delicate face, my heart thumped wildly against my ribs. The bed creaked rhythmically for hours. Once the dust settled, the reality finally sank in. I had struck absolute gold. How on earth did I luck out with a woman this gorgeous and shapely? Chloe nestled her soft body against mine, breathing softly into my ear. "Liam, thank you for giving me a place to stay." The best part was her gentle temper. She never argued, agreeing with whatever I wanted. Overwhelmed by heat, I pulled her back down into the sheets. Drenched in sweat, by the time we finally caught our breath, the sky outside had already turned pitch black. Obedient as ever, Chloe dragged her exhausted body out of bed, insisting on making dinner for me. I couldn't offer her much, but cooking was the one thing I excelled at. Besides, she had taken a liking to me in the first place because she loved the food I cooked at the diner. Now was my chance to show off. I patted my chest proudly. "Stay put. Let me make dinner tonight." I whipped up a simple meal—three home-style dishes and a soup. Nothing as fancy as what I served at the diner, but it was fresh and clean. I watched her face closely as she took her first bite. "How is it? Good?" A look of hesitation flickered across Chloe's face. She chewed for a long time before forcing herself to swallow. "Liam... does it taste a little different from the diner?" "Well, of course it does," I said, taking a forkful myself and chewing. It was indeed a bit bland. "I'll add more seasoning next time." Chloe put down her fork. "I don't think it's the seasoning... It just feels like... the food at the diner tastes so much richer, so much more addictive..." My heart skipped a beat. Chloe was a regular at our diner; her palate had been thoroughly spoiled. If she were just some random customer, I wouldn't have cared. But now, she was my woman. I warned her in a low voice, "Home-cooked food is safe and clean. You should avoid eating out so much from now on." A bright smile returned to her face. "Got it, Liam. From now on, I only want to eat what you cook." On our first night together, the bed proved far too small for both of us to fit comfortably. I volunteered to crash on the lumpy living room sofa. Before she switched off the lights, Chloe leaned down and pressed a sweet, lingering kiss to my lips. "Liam, I hate making you sleep out here." With a kiss like that, sleeping on the couch felt like a luxury. Once the lights went out, the narrow cushions made it impossible to sleep. I tossed and turned for what felt like hours. Giving up, I pulled out my phone and checked my banking app. After years of scrimping and saving, I only had about eight thousand dollars in my account. If I wanted to date a regular girl and settle down, that wouldn't even cover an engagement ring, let alone a wedding. I stared toward the dark bedroom. Maybe making things work with Chloe wasn't a bad idea at all. Just as my mind was drifting, the bedroom light suddenly clicked on.

第3章

My eyebrows knitted together, and my guard went up instantly. I wasn't an naive kid anymore. Life had kicked me around enough times to make me wary. When a drop-dead gorgeous woman threw herself into my arms out of nowhere, I couldn't help but keep one eye open. There was nothing of real value in the bedroom anyway. What little cash I had left was safely locked away in the bank. Even if Chloe had shady motives, she wouldn't find a damn thing. Still, I fixed my eyes on the bedroom doorway, waiting to see what she was up to. Getting up in the dead of night usually meant using the bathroom. Yet I waited for several minutes, and nobody came out. Instead, a faint rustling sound grew louder and louder from inside the room. The old saying was right: the prettier the woman, the better she was at lying. Anger flared up inside me. What the hell was this sneaky girl digging for? I threw off the blanket, walked over, and shoved the bedroom door open. Just as I suspected, Chloe was standing right beside the nightstand. All three drawers had been yanked open, their contents scattered all over the rug. I lunged forward, grabbed her by the wrist, and shoved her back onto the bed. "What the hell are you doing?" Chloe tumbled onto the mattress without making a sound. It took her several seconds to blink her eyes wide open, looking completely disoriented. "Liam? What... what's happening to me?" Her voice sounded soft and childish, far more innocent than she had seemed during the day. I clamped my hand around her chin, staring down at her. "You're telling me you don't know what you just did?" Chloe stared back blankly, her large eyes swimming with sheer confusion. She lifted a hand to rub her eyes, but I caught her wrist. "I... I really don't know," she whimpered, her bottom lip trembling. I hauled her to her feet and pointed down at the mess on the floor. "Why were you going through my personal things?" Chloe gasped in horror, dropping to her knees on the spot to gather the papers. "I didn't! I swear I didn't mean to!" Seeing her look so terrified and submissive, I began to wonder if I had misjudged her. There wasn't anything important by the nightstand anyway. Just a few basic recipe sheets that Robert had handed me when I first started working at the diner. Those were the starter guides I had used to teach myself the ropes until I became the head cook. You could find those generic recipes in any bookstore; there was nothing confidential about them. The real secret sauce was kept nowhere near my apartment. I helped her up, softening my tone. "Chloe, honestly, do you have no memory of what just happened?" She bit her lip and shook her head. "I was fast asleep. The next thing I knew, you were shouting at me." A thought struck me. I remembered reading posts online about people who sleepwalked. Some folks could raid the fridge or tear up a room in their sleep and wake up without a shred of memory. Maybe sleeping in an unfamiliar place had triggered an episode. I leaned down, wanting to comfort her. Chloe yanked her hand away, stepping into her slippers as she stood up. "I get it, Liam. You don't like me, and you don't trust me. That's fine. At least I got to spend one night with you." She slowly unbuttoned the new pajamas I had bought her, turned her back to me, and pulled her old oversized T-shirt over her head. "Once the sun comes up, I'll pack my things and get out of your way." I paused. "You don't have a place to stay, no money, and no job." Chloe's voice choked with tears. "I'll figure it out. I'll find a diner job that offers room and board... I won't burden you anymore, Liam." How could I let her do that? A young, gorgeous woman with no one to look out for her on the streets? People would eat her alive. Besides, we had already crossed that line... My eyes traced her bare, fair skin, and I swallowed hard. I reached out, took her by the shoulders, and turned her around to face me. "You're not leaving. You're staying right here with me."