He walked in to see a startled Emma and a worried Mrs. Alvarez standing beside her.
“What happened?”
Evan rushed over in a few strides and took Emma’s slightly reddened hand.
“Are you burned? Don’t worry, I’ll get an ice pack.”
He turned and walked out, opened the freezer, took out an ice pack, and returned to the kitchen. He then pressed the ice pack against her slightly burned fingers.
Most of the soup had spilled onto her pants and the part of her arm covered by her sleeve. Only a few drops had splashed onto her thumb and index finger.
Emma had screamed out of shock because the bowl had almost slipped from her grasp. Fortunately, she had managed to hold on, and she wasn't seriously burned. So, seeing Evan making such a fuss, Emma, now composed, first frowned, then gently pulled her hand away from his tight grip.
“I’m fine,” she said coldly.
As she spoke, she didn’t even glance at Evan. She turned and rinsed her hand at the sink.
She couldn’t stand his theatrics; it felt like he was just putting on a show, and a wave of annoyance washed over her. After washing her hands, she walked out of the kitchen without giving him a second look.
Evan stood frozen, one hand holding the ice pack, the other still in the position it had been in when he was holding her wrist.
“Sir...”
Mrs. Alvarez could now see the unusual dynamic between the couple.
Evan snapped back to reality and gave Mrs. Alvarez a gentle smile. Then, he put down the ice pack and left the kitchen without another word.
In the living room, Emma was leaning back on the sofa but hadn’t gone upstairs to change her clothes.
Evan paused for a moment before walking over and sitting down beside her.

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