The Opportunistic Woman

Blaire Cynclaire's smile curved down into a frown. She seemingly froze in time but managed to bounce back quickly after clearing her throat. "O —of course. Sorry I have seemed to disrupt your meal, our sweet little angel." She said, but earned only silence from Acashia. "And sorry too, Ms. Starling. Acashia is right, you are indeed pretty."

Hearing the latter's half-hearted compliment, Astrid acted as if she heard nothing. She knew why Blaire Cynclaire was here and she could tell what her intention was. And it had nothing to do with her. So she ignored it and continued to feed the little girl.

She had no doubt that Blaire Cynclaire took that teacher test to earn a certificate as a language teacher, but since she had good intentions with her daughter she let the latter continuously open her mouth. Even if it means whatever she's saying was nonsense.

Then again, the presence of the woman before her was unlike any other. She looked as if she was sculpted by the Norwegian gods herself. Her beauty could not be found anywhere else, making her one of the most beautiful women in this city.

Astrid Starling might've been in her league before — heck, she was even more powerful than Blaire Cynclaire Rose. But she is smarter and knows how to build a good relationship with the Cullin family. And everyone knows that before one can be a part of the family, one has to have merit.

"I want mandarins!" Acashia squealed, pointing at the fruit in the middle of the table. Her voice pulled Astrid out of her inner musings. And when the child shook her arm, asking again and again for the fruit, Astrid happily obliged.

She picked up the mandarin and started peeling it. And as Acashia watched, the little girl smiled happily, pretending to refuse to speak to the irritating woman who was pestering her.

"Thank you, my pretty friend. I like how you take care of me."

Astrid stopped peeling the fruit, and out of the corner of her eye she glanced at Matthew. He was looking down at his empty plate, and next to him was none other than Blaire Cynclaire. She was standing beside his chair with bright and interested eyes, looking like a sly fox who's ready to prowl.

Her eyes casted downward. 'Well, here goes nothing.' She said to herself before she pushed herself off the table and walked towards the two. Astrid placed the peeled fruit down on Matthew's plate and said, "For you."

Matthew's hand that's holding on a spoon froze in the air. He turned his head to look at Astrid suspiciously then asked, "What's this?"

"Fruit. It's Mandarin. I peeled one for you and Acashia.:

Seeing a triumphant smile on the corner of the woman's mouth, he seemed to have forgotten the tit-for-tat confrontation between the two of them last night. A burst of displeasure rose in his heart. 'Alright." He casted his eyes down. "Thank you."

Seeing that the three of them had such a harmonious meal, Blaire Cynclaire could not stop herself from unconsciously clenching her fingers together into a tight fist. She lets her nails dig sharply into her palm and she grits her teeth.

When Milly Brown came out of the kitchen, she saw Blaire Cynclaire's glossy eyes and gloomy face. The old woman hurriedly smiled and stepped forward to smooth things out, not wanting confrontation for she was never a fan of it.

"Miss Rose, I've made some coffee and fruit tea for you. You can choose whatever you like. And I have some cookies as well, I baked them myself, they're freshly baked."

"No, Miss Rose, let's sit down and eat together." Was Matthew's stern command.

His cold and deep voice reached the two women's ears. With just a few words from the man, Blaire Cynclaire was grinning ear to ear like a child who was given a pile of candy. She sat down and seated herself next to the man. She grabbed an apple and ate with joy, chewing as if it was food for the gods instead of a plain apple.

Seeing the sweet scene, a wry smile crawled into Astrid's face.

A few minutes after her meal, Acashia had already run out from the table and went outside to play.

"Daddy I want to go outside!" She screamed as she ran. "Can I, can I, can I?!"

Matthew could only sigh, for the girl was already outside. The three of them moved from the dining table to the wide living room.

Seeing the opportunity to expand her family business with the Cullin's, Blaire Cynclaire took out a stack of documents from her bag and smiled sweetly at the man of the house. "Mr. Cullin, this is the information about our cooperation. It's the deal between the Rose's and the Cullin's. My father said that I need you to take a look. Don't worry, it's already been polished."

Matthew took the document and politely said, "Thank you for your hard work."

"You're welcome, I didn't have anything to do today, so I'll do my best." After she finished speaking, she glanced at Astrid who was watching a famous noon time show. Just seeing the woman sitting casually inside the Cullin's mansion was enough to make her heart jump.

She licked her lips and hissed, "Enjoy your stay at paradise, Astrid Starling. I know he's keeping you here out of merit and not because he cares for a murderer like you. It won't be long before he kicks you out and takes me in."

"Pardon me?" Matthew suddenly spoke, making Blaire Cynclaire's head abruptly turn towards him. She fanned herself with her hand, hoping Matthew did not hear what she was saying to herself.

"A —ah. It's nothing."

"Alright." Matthew paid no mind to Blaire Cynclaire's quirks and looked down at the documents. He didn't notice the tension between the two women, and said casually, "Milly Brown, go get some snacks for Ms. Rose."

The woman with dark hair and ruby red lips lowered her head and smiled, a blush appeared on her face, "No need, I've just had enough." She licked her lips and touched his shoulders, making sure she gave it a squeeze. "You're very kind."