The Queen's Back

Because Mona was genuinely hungry, Maxwell did not take her home to cook but instead chose a well-reputed private restaurant that was relatively close to the airport.

As for Nigel, Maxwell generously reimbursed his fare and sent him back to the company.

While waiting for his ride, Nigel could not help but roll his eyes at the sight of Maxwell carefully holding Mona's hand.

"That is a CEO in love. Oh, wait, no-a married CEO. It is hard to reconcile this with the cold CEO we knew,' he thought.

On the way to dinner, as Maxwell drove, Mona shared her experiences from the past few days with him, and her eyes occasionally glanced at his face.

She was not sure if it was her imagination, but Maxwell seemed to have lost weight. His chin appeared sharper, and his jawline more defined.

"Mrs. Carter, if you want to look, just look openly. We are married, it is legal." He teased.

Even though Maxwell's attention was on the road ahead, he could still feel Mona's intense gaze from the corner of his eye.

Mona retracted her gaze and asked, "Maxwell, have you not been eating well recently? I see that you have lost weight."

When Maxwell heard Mona's words, he could not help but cough twice. Just as he was about to "Maxwell, do not lie to me. Tell me the truth."

respond, Mona added,

Maxwell forcefully changed the words he was about to say, replying, "I only missed dinner once or twice."

Maxwell thought there had been too much going on at the company recently. He did not even have time to sleep, often going to bed at one or two in the morning.

Mona noticed the signs. "I think it is more than just once or twice, and you have not been sleeping well either, right? You have dark circles under your eyes," she said, her heart aching for him. *Mrs. Carter, you have eagle eyes." Maxwell joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Maxwell recalled that when he first returned to the country, he did not have time to rest properly. Later, things improved, but last night, knowing Mona was coming back, he had been too excited. He forced himself to lie in bed with his eyes closed for two or three hours.

"Flattering me will not help," Mona said firmly. "Do not do this again. You need to take care of your health. There is no end to making money."

Speaking of money, Mona thought of what Maxwell had said at the meeting. She asked curiously, "By the way, did you say at the meeting that you could increase Clem Group's turnover by 5%? Are you completely confident?" Maxwell met Mona's trusting gaze and joked, "Of course, I'm not confident. Isn't this to get them to support me? If I don't achieve it, I will have you take out money from your treasury to repay the debt."

Mona asked, "If that is the case, how much would it cost?" The money in her hands, plus what Maxwell had given her, was quite a lot.

Maxwell replied, "Let's not talk about these ten over millions. Don't worry. Your money is completely enough."

Mona sighed and conceded, "Okay, over ten million is gone just like that. For some reason, I feel a headache coming on. Still, I'm really happy that Jeremy's plan has failed."

III

r

6

While waiting at the red light, Maxwell rubbed Mona's head affectionately and said, "What's this? If your husband has such little ability, how could he marry you? Just wait, I will ensure that Clem Group's turnover increases by more than five percent. You can spend the money that comes to you. There's a saying: I take care of earning money for the family, and you take care of looking beautiful."

Mona met Maxwell's serious gaze and felt that he was really good-looking. She shyly nodded and said softly, "Hubby, you're so awesome!"

When Maxwell heard this, he lowered his head and gently bit Mona's earlobe. In a low voice, he said, "I want you to praise me for other things, such as when I'm sleeping."

Mona's earlobes were especially sensitive, and after being gently bitten by Maxwell, along with the warmth of his breath, her earlobes turned red, as did her cheeks.

She embarrassedly pushed Maxwell away, saying, "Hooligan, the light is green. Let's go."

"Understood, Mrs. Carter!" Maxwell replied.

Maxwell turned a corner, and the two of them spotted the restaurant from afar. The fragrance of the food wafted over, making Mona swallow her saliva. She was really hungry.

As soon as Maxwell parked the car, Mona eagerly grabbed his hand and pulled him into the restaurant, where a waiter led them to a private room.

Upon entering, Mona noticed a woman heading towards the next room. The woman's back looked familiar, but Mona could not quite place it.

Still thinking about the meal, she tugged Maxwell into the private room.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

The waiter enthusiastically handed Mona and Maxwell the menus. She casually glanced through them and said, "Let us get one of each of your signature dishes. Also, I would like a steak. Maxwell, see if you want anything else?" "How about broccoli? You did not order any vegetables just now, he replied.

"Sure," she said.

After the waiter left, Mona took a sip of water and murmured, "I am so hungry. I feel like I have lost at least a pound."

"Mona, wait a minute. I will add some money to the chef and see if we can hurry things up," he said.

"You can do that?" she asked, surprised.

"Why not? Just wait and eat," he replied.

Mona smiled at Maxwell, thinking it would be great if they could get their food faster, as she felt like she was starving.

After Maxwell left for a while, Mona vaguely heard the private room next door mention that someone was recovering well and that their face had been slightly adjusted.

Thinking that the person next door might be a celebrity, and she was not a paparazzi, she decided not to pay special

attention to it.

At that moment, Maxwell returned with a plate of chicken wings and a bowl of spaghetti. Mona immediately caught the delicious aroma and quickly reached for the food. She gave Maxwell a thumbs up and praised, "Amazing." Eagerly, she picked up her cutlery and took a bite of a chicken wing, followed by a bite of spaghetti, while saying to Maxwell,

""Eat!"

"Alright, I will eat," Maxwell replied, picking up the cutlery beside him and grabbing a chicken wing.

III

Mona's eating reminded Maxwell of high school when he had secretly watched her cat lunch.

3

She would hold her bowl with one hand and scoop food with the other, her head bent over the side of the bowl. It was just ordinary food, yet she made it look exceptionally appetizing, sparking hunger in anyone who watched her. Over the years, Mona had become more refined in her eating habits, but when hungry, she still displayed her true nature. For some reason, Maxwell found it a bit cute.

Everything seemed to have changed, yet nothing had.

By the time Mona finished her bowl of spaghetti, the waiter began to bring out the dishes one after another.

0