Faux Vows, True Desires

Chapter 111

There were only eggs and sausages in the fridge, nothing else. They looked at each other, then at the pitiful spread.

"What can we whip up?"

"I'll rustle up some Eggs Benedict for you." Stefan muttered.

Lucinda's eyes lit up. "Really? Can you? My mom used to make that for me. It's delish, I love it."

Although she had a pastry chef at her café, she and Cecilia would sometimes lend a hand, whipping up sweet treats. Lucinda was quite good at it.

She had no idea Stefan could cook.

Stefan had once told her that the Anderson kids, despite their privileged start in life, were shipped off to the family training camp once they hit a certain age, every summer and winter break.

They underwent training on the Anderson private island and had to fend for themselves.

Lucinda thought Stefan was just spinning a yarn, but it turned out he could actually do a lot of things.

To her, he was like a thick book. Each page turned revealed something new, something exciting.

She'd struck gold.

"During my training days, I made Eggs Benedict countless times. The eggs were from chickens I raised myself." Stefan was telling as he got the ingredients ready.

"Listening to you, I'm getting more and more curious about your family's training camp. Can I visit?"

Stefan turned to her, a twinkle in his eyes. "Of course, you can. I'm the head of the family and you're the head's wife. You can visit the training camp anytime. We're booked solid this week. How about next weekend? We'll spend a couple of days there."

"Deal."

Without a second thought, Lucinda agreed.

Considering it was late, they didn't chat long.

Lucinda made a point of not helping out, just watching Stefan cook for her.

In no time, the Eggs Benedict was ready and handed over to Lucinda.

"It smells so good."

Lucinda loved the aroma.

She took Egg Benedict and ate it at once. Stefan had just washed the cutlery when he saw her eating with her hands. He handed her the utensils with a laugh, "Use these."

"Thanks, Stefan. Do you want to join me?"

Stefan just smiled at her. "I'm not hungry. You eat."

Seeing her eat filled him with happiness.

He'd been so busy with work that he hadn't cooked in ages. Only after marrying her did he venture back into the kitchen.

Lucinda insisted on feeding him some.

"Yummy."

She commented.

Stefan was very satisfied and said, "It's been ages since I cooked. Thankfully, it turned out pretty well. When we visit the camp, I'll cook you some chicken. The chicken there is particularly delicious, probably because they're free-range and not fed any feed. Life there is completely self-reliant. No boats approach the camp during training, so no one has the time, resources, or money to buy feed."

Lucinda asked curiously, "When you first arrived, with no knowledge and no resources, didn't you starve?"

Stefan smiled. "We were allowed to bring some basic food items. The first step was to cook for ourselves. Whatever you made, you had to eat it, no helping others or getting help from them."

"Then you learned farming and gardening, planting various crops. Deciding what to plant first to sustain yourself was a test for everyone."

Listening to his explanation, Lucinda said, "No wonder all the Anderson boys are so accomplished. And no wonder the Andersons are the richest family in Pinehurst, with each generation outdoing the previous one."

Their education was indeed comprehensive, relentless on the academic front and strict on the domestic front.

Although they led a life of luxury, they were also taught to be independent, to experience hardship, and to appreciate everything they had.

This effectively kept them from becoming spendthrifts.

In the Anderson family, if anyone wasted money, their assets would be frozen and they would be sent back to the training camp.

"Our ancestors were poor. It's their hard work and seized opportunities that built this family fortune. We, the successors, may not surpass them, but we must have the ability to protect their legacy."

Lucinda nodded, satisfied with the Anderson education and family values.

She fed Stefan some more Eggs Benedict.

As Stefan took a bite, his eyes were fixed on her, full of tenderness.

Mason and Madison Moore peeked through the slightly ajar door. Seeing their closeness, they quietly shut the door.

They had woken up early and knew their granddaughter was hungry and her husband was making her something to eat. So, the elderly couple didn't disturb them.

"Stefan is really good to Lucy."

Madison praised, "Stefan is young, successful, and handsome. More handsome than the guys in my favorite TV shows. Most importantly, he's not arrogant. He fits right into our simple family. It's rare."

They could see that Stefan truly loved their Lucy.

"They've just gotten married, of course they're close. We have to wait and see how things go. Remember, Lucy hasn't met Stefan's parents yet. She hasn't even set foot in the real Anderson household."

Lucinda had only been to Stefan's private villa in Diamond Ridge Estates.

That was merely Stefan's bachelor pad.

Ascend Estate was Stefan's real home.

"Rich people love to have mistresses. Who knows if Stefan will do the same in the future? He's very handsome and very rich."

Mason whispered, "Fiona and I feel the same way, but since Lucy has decided to stay with Stefan, I can't say anything more about what's in store for her."

They could only respect their granddaughter's decision, hoping Stefan wouldn't let Lucinda down.

Thinking of this, Madison's smile gradually faded.

After a while, she added comfortingly: "I don't think so. Stefan doesn't seem like the heartless type to me.. We've heard that over the years, apart from a childhood friend, he hasn't been involved with any other women."