After Divorcing my Captain Husband (Chloe and Michael)

"William, with your reputation, I feel so awkward asking you to be my personal chef!" Chloe said with a smile, clearly not taking his offer too seriously.

"I really owe you one for what happened, so I suppose this is a sort of compensation."

William insisted, though, saying it was just dinner and wouldn't take much of his time.

Chloe felt bad about refusing him too many times, so she relented.

"Alright, just come by when you have time. No need to come every day!"

Seeing her concede, William smiled, "Great, I'll get the ingredients for tonight's meal."

William didn't join Chloe and Michael on their way back but left on his own.

Inside the car, Michael was brooding. He'd already been dealing with one rival, James, and now another, William, seemed to be popping up everywhere. Michael's mind was buzzing with irritation. Chloe glanced at Michael, noticing his frustration. His face looked as if it were about to explode with anger.

She sighed as she got out of the car, saying, "If you really don't like William coming over, I can talk to him."

Michael, now trying to play it cool, said, "No, it's fine. If you're okay with it, I don't really care."

His sudden change of attitude left Chloe puzzled.

She raised an eyebrow. "You really don't mind?"

"As long as you're happy!"

Chloe looked at him like he'd just spoken in riddles. She bit her lip and decided not to press further.

Once inside the house, she hesitated for a moment before saying, "I'm planning to check out some places in the next couple of days."

She thought, "I'm not staying here long-term. I'll only consider returning home after James is out of the hospital. Until then, I'd rather not live with him."

Michael froze. "Are you unhappy living here?"

Chloe replied, "It's not about being unhappy. It's just that our relationship has changed. Living together after a divorce, it doesn't seem right."

She thought, "Since we are divorced, how can we still live together after the divorce?"

Michael felt as though his heart was being pierced by a thousand needles. The pain was almost too much to bear.

After a long silence, as Chloe was about to head upstairs, he said, "I'll be heading back home in a few days. Paramount Airlines and Shawn Heavy Industries both need me. So you won't need to worry about finding a place." Michael knew she was just unwilling to live with him. He thought, "I know she'd rather not deal with the hassle if I'm not here."

William prepared an exquisite foreign meal for them, and Chloe praised his cooking, noting how every dish was both beautiful and delicious.

Meanwhile, Michael found the food tasteless. His attention was entirely focused on the interaction between Chloe and William.

Watching her smile at William was almost as painful as being stabbed.

"So, did you have a meeting today?" William asked Chloe as they chatted casually.

When Chloe mentioned she was working, William noted he knew Jeremy.

"He's been to my restaurant before and seemed to enjoy my cooking."

Chloe listened, realizing for the first time how shining brightly in one's field, no matter what it was, could earn respect and admiration.

She had never understood the prestige that came with being a top-tier chef until now.

Before leaving, William asked, "What would you like to eat tomorrow? I can prep the ingredients in advance."

Chloe, feeling she was already troubling William, simply told him to choose something. She didn't want to add to his trouble.

After William left, Chloe received a call from the client.

"Ms. Nelson, after careful consideration, Mr. Portman is interested in both your proposal and Ms. Carey's. We'd like to explore the possibility of combining them."

Chloe's brow furrowed slightly at the assistant's words. Before she could fully process the information, the assistant continued, "If you and Ms. Carey can collaborate, we can schedule a time to sign the contract." Chloe was taken aback. "Are you saying that you want me and Ms. Carey to manage this project together?"

"Yes, exactly. Mr. Portman believes that if you two can work together, the project will proceed smoothly. He's confident that you'll find a good synergy."

Chloe almost laughed out loud.

She thought to herself, "Ariana and I have had two meetings so far, and both times nearly ended in a showdown.

And they think we'll work together harmoniously?"