Chapter 7

Joshua believed that some things were better left to unfold naturally. Things might backfire if Queenie discovered too much. As the water came to a boil, Queenie turned back to cook the pasta. Not noticing the fleeting expression on Joshua's face, she continued saying, "You must be a white-collar worker at a big company too, like Maria's nephew." Speaking of Maria's nephew, Joshua vaguely recalled Queenie mentioning the name when they registered their marriage. "Are you talking about the guy you were supposed to go on a blind date with?"Joshua stared at Queenie, testing the waters. "Yes, Maria said her nephew works as a white-collar worker at the best company in the city. That's impressive," Queenie said as she cooked the pasta, her tone filled with admiration. Joshua was intrigued by her response. Leaning against the kitchen door, he asked, "The best company in the city?" "Newman Group. Don't you know about it?" Queenie turned back to look at him. She then continued with a look of longing, "I even sent my résumé there when I graduated from college, but it was like throwing a stone into the sea. I never got a reply." Queenie then returned to the stove to check on the pasta and continued, "I heard they only hire elites. I probably wouldn't even stand a chance as a janitor." Growing up in a family that favored boys over girls, Queenie felt inferior deep down, despite her excellent grades. Staring at Queenie, Joshua asked, "When did you send your résumé?" "Probably around July last year. I don't remember the exact date, but I never got a response," Queenie said, draining the pasta from the pot. She then finished by adding the bolognese sauce she had made. With that, her spaghetti bolognese was done. The two sat down in the dining room to eat. Joshua looked at the bowl in front of him. He rarely ate food like this. Meanwhile, Queenie had already dug into her food. Joshua picked up his fork and gave it a try. Sure enough, it tasted as good as it looked. Queenie was quite a skilled cook. "By the way, Mr. Newman, since you share the surname Newman, are you related to the Newman Group in any way?" Queenie's intelligence seemed to have surged after she had some food. "Having the same surname doesn't necessarily mean we're related." Joshua was slightly surprised. Everyone loved money, and Queenie was no exception. He wondered why Queenie asked him the question. Joshua didn't know Queenie well since they had only known each other for two days. He could investigate her background, but knowing a person's true nature took time. Queenie didn't read too much into Joshua's emotional changes and said, "That makes sense. Mr. Newman, you must be very busy every day. What would you like for breakfast tomorrow? I can make it for you." Joshua's daily tasks were all about keeping Newman Group running smoothly. Other than that, he considered it trivial matters. He would leave them to his assistant to handle. But he didn't mention this to Queenie, who likely saw him as an ordinary office worker. "Just get me whatever you're having." Joshua wasn't picky. As long as it didn't interfere with his work, he didn't mind. "Okay," Queenie replied with a smile. After they finished their meal, Queenie cleared the table and washed the dishes. By then, it was already quite late. They both returned to their rooms and had another good night's sleep. The following day, Queenie got up early to prepare a hearty breakfast. When Joshua came downstairs after his morning workout and shower, he saw a spread of sandwiches, milk, oat milk, orange juice, and salad on the table. Queenie was good at presenting her cooking. It looked like a delicious five-star hotel buffet. "Mr. Newman, you're up. I wasn't sure what you like, so I just made a bit of everything," Queenie said as she sat down at the table with Joshua. Joshua took a bite of a sandwich and found it delicious. His mood lit up, and he remarked, "Your cooking is great, and the presentation is really nice." "I learned how to plate food when I worked at a hotel in high school," Queenie uttered with a hint of pride. She was a quick learner and had a pleasant personality. Everyone liked her. Her sweet mouth also helped her pick up many skills. "You've been working since high school. It must have been tough." While speaking, Joshua glanced at Queenie. Based on their interactions in the past couple of days, he'd noticed she was quite capable. "It wasn't too bad," Queenie didn't say much. Everything else was manageable as long as she wasn't living with her family. After breakfast, Queenie headed to her shop. The first thing Joshua did after returning to his study room was ask his assistant to retrieve all the résumé files from July of last year.