Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed novel Chapter 818

Roseanne was about to refuse, but then Corley added, “Grandma went through all this trouble for you. If you say no, she’ll be disappointed.”

That shut Roseanne up.

At eleven thirty, Corley pulled up outside. Roseanne went to meet him at the door.

“You didn’t have to come out. I could’ve just gone in,” he said.

“Not a chance,” she replied.

It wasn’t until Roseanne led him through a maze of security checkpoints that Corley understood what she meant. There was no way he could’ve gotten in on his own.

“Security’s tighter than when the place first opened, huh?” Corley remarked, remembering the day of the ribbon-cutting ceremony. He’d been there—it felt like a lifetime ago.

Roseanne nodded. “I reset the whole system.”

“Was that an order from higher up?”

“Not exactly. But a little extra caution never hurts.”

Corley nodded in agreement.

“Aren’t you busy?” Roseanne asked as they walked. “How do you even have time to deliver food to me?”

“Busy or not, this is my mission,” he said, grinning. “I’m carrying out Grandma’s orders.”

“What kind of orders?” she asked.

By now, they’d reached the residential wing. Corley unzipped the insulated bag and pulled out two containers, still warm to the touch.

He unpacked the food and arranged it neatly on the table, setting out a clean fork and spoon.

“My mission,” he explained, “is to watch you and make sure you finish everything Grandma made.”

Roseanne eyed the spread—six different dishes, not counting the soup, all her favorites.

“It smells amazing…”

Corley grinned. “Grandma’s been glued to her recipe books lately. She says she hasn’t cooked much in years, worried she’d lost her touch. All her practice runs end up as dinner for Grandpa and me.”

“Grandpa says we’re just lucky to have you around. Otherwise, we’d never get to eat Grandma’s food every day.”

Roseanne burst out laughing. “Oh, come on! But seriously…” She glanced at the table, overwhelmed. “This is way too much.”

Suddenly, a thought struck her. “Hey, have you eaten yet?”

Roseanne hit “approve” on the screen and switched to the intercom. “Professor, you’re cleared. Come on in.”

“Thanks. Are you in the lab area?” his voice crackled through.

“No, I’m in the living quarters. Come over,” she replied.

Two minutes later, Owen Reynolds arrived, finding Roseanne and Corley at the dining table.

Roseanne stood to greet him. “Professor.”

“Mr. Sullivan, too? What a coincidence,” Owen said, glancing at Corley.

Corley looked back, their eyes meeting across the quiet room—a subtle tension hanging in the air.

Corley broke the silence first. “It really is a coincidence, Mr. Reynolds. Would you like to join us for lunch?”

“Thank you, but…”

He was clearly about to turn them down.

Corley thought, Well, at least he knows when to take a hint.