Chapter 46

I couldn’t stop smiling when I saw the stars in the sky. The waiters gradually filled our table with a variety of delicious food and fine wine.

Under the table, I tapped my fingers, hesitating for a moment, wondering whether I should eat or not. Zephyr had ordered all these expensive dishes for me, so it would definitely seem rude if I didn’t touch my food at all.

But I had already eaten a granola bar for dinner, and I didn’t want to overfill my stomach late at night.

"Do you not like the food?" Zephyr asked when he noticed that I had barely touched my meal.

I quickly came up with an excuse. "No, it’s not that. I already ate at the studio, so I’m not that hungry right now."

Zephyr didn’t say anything for a moment, which made me feel relieved—at least I wouldn’t have to feel guilty about not eating.

However, just as I was about to take a sip of wine, Zephyr dropped a bombshell. "But Ms. Chloe said you didn’t eat at the studio."

My hand froze mid-air, and I held my breath. I hadn’t expected Zephyr to ask Chloe about my meals.

I mean, who would go through the trouble of asking my manager about something so trivial?

I pretended to cough. "I ate when Ms. Chloe wasn’t around, so maybe she just didn’t see me."

"Is that so?" Zephyr dropped another bomb. "I specifically asked her to prepare your meal and make sure you ate. If that’s the case, then maybe Ms. Chloe didn’t do her job properly. Should I call her now?"

No, it would be bad.

I didn’t want to get my new manager in trouble just because I didn’t feel like eating. If I had known that Chloe would check my meal box, I would have thrown it away instead of just leaving it on the table.

"No!" I grabbed Zephyr’s hand just as he was about to reach for his phone. "It’s my fault! I’m the one who forgot to eat, so it’s not Ms. Chloe’s fault." I quickly added, "I ... I’ll eat my food now. I’ll finish everything!"

No, I didn’t actually want to eat all of it. I really didn’t.

If I forced myself, I would just end up starving myself the next day or... maybe even trying to throw up my food.

"You don’t have to do that." Zephyr gently held my hand when I reached for my utensils. "Just eat as much as you want. Even if it’s just a little, that’s fine. I won’t force you."

I blinked in confusion.

Whenever people found out that I was constantly starving myself, they would force me to eat without considering my feelings at all. So, why was he saying this?

"Why?"

"Ashley used to hate eating vegetables. Do you know why she hated them?" Zephyr suddenly asked.

I didn’t understand why he suddenly brought up Ashley, but I still answered, "I don’t know. Why?"

"She hated vegetables because her parents used to force her to eat them. Every time there were vegetables on the table, she would cry and run to her grandmothers.

"Darren and Layla eventually decided not to force her anymore, but they still left vegetables on her plate."

"At first, Ashley wouldn’t touch them at all, but over time, she started eating them little by little. Eventually, she even asked Layla to put vegetables on her plate, even though no one forced her."

Zephyr lifted his head, locking eyes with me. "But you don’t just hate vegetables, Samantha. You hate everything on your plate."