He portrayed the role of a successful businessman with great finesse, and after having the dinner he prepared, she almost felt like her bones were about to fall apart. If this was how she burned calories, she figured she’d soon turn into a skeleton.
Atlas Hallow always woke up earlier than she did, and upon waking, she found him making breakfast.
Charlotte Miller decided that she would pack a sandwich and eat at the office later; the food this man cooked was definitely not casually consumed.
Sausage, bacon, fried eggs, toasted slices of bread, jam, cheese, coffee with added sugar and milk — with such a high-calorie breakfast, would she be unable to get up at all?
Atlas seemed to have read her mind, pinching her cheek with a solemn face, saying, "Mrs. Hallow, put those thoughts aside for now, we have a lot to do today, and if you need anything, I’ll do my best to satisfy you tonight — wasn’t last night fun enough for you?"
Was she overthinking it?
The aroma of breakfast was tempting, and after last night, she really needed to replenish her strength properly.
"The neighborhood next to us seems a bit quieter; why didn’t you buy in that neighborhood?" Charlotte pointed out the window, and from not too far away, she could see another neighborhood where the trees were lush even in this autumn, creating a verdant oasis. She had heard this neighborhood won an architectural award and sold for exorbitant prices per square meter.
Of course, the one they lived in now was also one of the best, but she liked the adjacent neighborhood more; the green expanse was particularly comforting.
Atlas’s eyes darkened for a moment; he did not answer Charlotte’s question, slowly drinking his black coffee as he pensively gazed in the direction Charlotte had pointed.
It felt nice to have breakfast together with him; it was just the two of them sitting before the rustic wood-grain cooking island on simple bar stools. On the table, a long-neck glass vase held a single red candle flower, which appeared particularly alluring amidst the simplicity.
The aroma of coffee wafted richly, and the glimmer in the man’s eyes opposite her seemed to come from a distant galaxy, mysterious and profound.
Even as he ate, he was graceful; the morning light fell on his face, and as he drank his coffee, the deep brown liquid slid down his throat, his rugged Adam’s apple moving slightly, evoking an inexplicable flutter in Charlotte’s heart.
"Do you like those houses?" After finishing his coffee, Atlas’s eyes returned from afar, looking at Charlotte with a faint smile.
"Mmm, the apartments here are more modern in design, but the neighborhood’s apartments next door seem more romantic, with so many trees planted inside, I like everything being green and lush..." Probably everyone likes it, Charlotte didn’t find anything strange about her preference. What she didn’t know was that the peculiar Miss Hill lived not too far away in this neighborhood.
"If you like it, I’ll buy you one." Atlas finished his coffee, extending a long arm to wipe a droplet of coffee off Charlotte’s lips.
He sucked his finger, the taste was different; her coffee was sweetened enough with sugar and milk, no longer as bitter, becoming sweet and smooth, but the original bitterness and richness of the coffee slowly faded.
Buying her a place wasn’t necessary at all; she had married Atlas Hallow—was there ever a fear of not having a house to live in?
"No need, I don’t have the habit of speculating on real estate or investing in fixed assets." Charlotte was somewhat wary of the real estate economy.
After putting down the food in her hand, her face became somewhat serious: "Such a high bubble is unprecedented worldwide; the rent-to-sale ratio has exceeded fifty to a hundred times, indicating that the money used to buy a house could rent a house for a hundred years, not even counting the interest. Since last September, foreign investment has been withdrawing continuously, and the largest amounts of capital now are all of unknown origin. I suspect they’re all off-balance-sheet activities from banks, with state-owned and central enterprises acquiring land. Where is all this money coming from? It’s just banks giving it away, even subsidizing interest, so these people don’t value it at all. Look at those invisible clients of mine; many are no longer in business, but they are smarter than anyone and see the dangers of high total price, high unit price, high premium. Your new energy city is actually the most risky project now, even if it is creative, there is still significant uncertainty."