Hot air sted out of the pan. Jasper wiped away the sweat on his face and sighed. “Dammit. Burnt


    again.”


    Only then did Alyssa see the countless burnt eggs in the trash bint beside the stove.


    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    “Pft. The heat is too high, silly. You’d go through an entire chicken farm without seeding at this rate,”


    she teased.


    Jasper’s heart skipped a beat as he turned around, meeting Alyssa’s eyes.


    “Did I… wake you?” he asked nervously.


    “No, my biological clock did. I don’t have a habit of sleeping in,” Alyssa replied.


    She then pointed at the trash bin beside him, teasing, “You’re lucky Sean isn’t around to see this. He


    hates it when people waste food. If he had been here, he would have made you scoop everything back


    out and eat it.”


    “I would be fine with that. I never wasted food during my time in the army,” Jasper replied lightly.


    It wouldn’t be a first for him.


    Alyssa knew how serious Jasper could be at times and that he was indeed capable of doing something


    like that. She hurriedly waved her hands. “I’m kidding. Don’t actually go eating that.”


    “I really underestimated the art of cooking. I used to think it was easy whenever I watched Rosie cook.


    Now that I’ve actually tried it, I can see just how difficult this technique is,” Jasper said.


    As he gazed at the messy kitchen countertop, guilt filled his chest. “I know you must’ve been so tired


    and put in so much effort to cook for me in the past.”


    Alyssa blinked quickly, conflicted emotions filling her heart.


    “I… I wanted you to have breakfast I made for you. But it looks like Sean will have to buy some for us


    this time.”


    Jasper smiled bitterly. “Sorry, Lyse. Give me some more time to practice. I’ll improve.”


    Alyssa immediately saw through his intentions.


    Jasper hadn’t once stepped into the kitchen in their three years of marriage. Rosie had told Alyssa it


    wasn’t purely because of his prejudice against her, but because he had never liked the smell of smoke


    and oil that came from the kitchen area.


    The smells reminded Jasper of the slums he had lived in with his mother. Their house had been


    surrounded by shabby eateries that constantly emanated the heavy smell of cooking.


    No matter how hard they scrubbed their clothes, that smell never left.


    Right now, Jasper was willing to cook for her and do something he had never done before. He truly


    doted on Alyssa, even crossing his own boundaries for her.


    Warmth filled Alyssa’s chest. She gently nudged Jasper away. “That’s enough of terrorizing my house.


    Let me cook.”


    She coughed suddenly, her allergy acting up again after inhaling the smoke earlier.


    Didn’t Jasper know to switch on the hood?


    “What’s wrong, Lyse? Did you catch a cold?” Jasper asked worriedly.


    Alyssa covered her mouth and mumbled, “I’m fine. I’m just allergic to smoke. I just need some fresh


    air.”


    Allergic… to smoke?


    Jasper’s eyes widened in shock.


    When did she get this allergy? Or had she always had it and he just hadn’t known?


    Had Alyssa spent those three years cooking for his entire family while suffering from her allergy like


    this?


    Alyssa had just taken the frying pan from him when Jasper hugged her tightly from behind.


    “How am I supposed to cook with you like this?” she asked.


    “Don’t. Don’t cook anymore.” Jasper buried his face in her neck, pain filling his eyes.


    “Let me do it for you from now on. I’ll learn to cook whatever it is your want to eat.”


    “No need. You don’t have the talent.” The moment Alyssa said that, she pursed her l*ps tightly. It felt


    like she had misspoken.


    For a moment, she had made it sound like they were an old married couple. It was as if she had


    acquiesced to a shared future together.