Sweet Subterfuge

Chapter 284
Roland was old and had to go to bed early. Around nine o’clock, he said he was sleepy and retired to his room. Kevan helped him in returning to his quarters. Just as she reached the doorway, he turned back and instructed Larissa, “Clean the table.”
Larissa paused for a moment, then nodded in acknowledgment. “Okay.”
Edmund and the others had left together, so only Larissa was in the main house. This New Year’s Eve dinner was sumptuous, and the
table was adorned with a wide array of dishes. As the six of them had not consumed much, there was a considerable amount of leftovers.
Larissa felt uncertain about how to handle them, as Kevan had not provided clear instructions.
Just as she was in a dilemma, Ben came over with some maids, and they discarded the leftovers into the trash. When they were about to

throw the pie, Larissa stopped them. “Ben, can I take this away?”
She had spent the whole afternoon making it. Even if no one ate it, she couldn’t let it be thrown away like that. Fortunately, Ben still treated
her the same. He did as she told and ordered someone to put the pie in a box before giving it to her.
“Are you going to eat it as a midnight snack?” Ben asked. He was very considerate and suggested, “If it’s not enough, I can get the cooks to prepare a few more dishes for you to bring home.”
“It’s fine,” Larissa declined his offer before saying. “This is enough.” Following her response, she offered him a smile.
As they were talking, they heard the car being started. Ben glanced over and said, “It’s young master Cody and Edmund leaving.”
After a while, Kevan returned. “Are you done?”
“Yes, but it’s mostly done by Ben and the others,” Larissa replied. She didn’t like to take credit for things she didn’t do.
Kevan didn’t say anything about it and left. Larissa heard him say in a cold voice, “Let’s go back to the hotel*
On the way back, both of them were silent. When they reached the hotel, Kevan told her to get up early tomorrow and retum to his room. He provided no explanation regarding the peculiar situation between him and Roland that evening.
It turned out to be another unhappy New Year’s Eve. Larissa was used to it, but she was still upset. Then, she microwaved the pie and turned on the massive TV in the living room. Nestling into the sofa, she watched the annual New Year’s Eve special broadcast.