Page 19 of His Ruthless Match

I shot him a withering look, but he only laughed and leaned back in the chair as if he’d just won something. God help me. If this was my life now, I wasn’t sure how long I’d last without strangling him.

6

JARETH

Ishoveled a forkful of scrambled eggs into my mouth. The yolk-to-egg-white ratio was perfect—a skill I’d mastered after years of being too impatient for complicated meals. Grelth stood with his arms crossed, glaring at me like I’d personally insulted his existence.

“You’re eating that again?” His voice dripped with disdain.

I paused mid-bite. “What’s wrong with eggs and toast? It’s simple.”

Grelth made a dramatic gesture, his fingers twitching as though the mere sight of my plate offended him. “It’s boring. No creativity, no flair. Just... basic. And your ass is getting fat.”

I snorted as I shoveled another bite into my mouth and chewed slowly for effect. “You’re delusional.”

“Am I?” Grelth huffed, pacing in front of me like a drill sergeant inspecting a line of recruits. “When’s the last time you even saw your abs? Hmm? Let me guess. Around the same time you decided you were too good to eat a vegetable?”

I pointed my fork at him. “First of all, I have abs, thank you very much. Second, you’ve been hanging around me for too long if you’re stooping to body shaming.”

Grelth rolled his eyes. “I am not body shaming you. I am giving you constructive criticism. And I’m putting you on a diet.”

“You do realize you’re my housekeeper, not my personal trainer, right?”

“I’m whatever I need to be to fix your life,” Grelth retorted as he straightened his vest.

Before I could fire back, my phone buzzed on the table. I picked it up, the screen lighting up with a text from The Shadow, who always timed his interruptions perfectly.

Boss man:How’d things go with Eva last night?

I took another bite of eggs, chewing thoughtfully as I thought of how to reply.

Jareth:She wouldn’t talk to me. Ate her food and stormed back to her apartment.

Boss man:Sounds about right. She’s pissed she doesn’t have control over the situation.

I smirked, shaking my head. That much was obvious.

Jareth:Great. This’ll be fun.

Boss man:Just don’t get on her nerves too much.

Jareth:I can make no promises.

I tossed my phone onto the table and took a bite of my toast as I mulled over the next steps. Eva’s schedule was synced to my phone, thanks to some arm-twisting on my part, and I’d spotted a court appointment on her calendar. Always moving, always working.

“She never stops, does she?” I muttered as I scrolled through her appointments.

Grelth raised an eyebrow. “Talking to yourself now? Should I be worried?”

I ignored him, turning my attention to more pressing matters. My suit for today’s excursion was still wrinkled, and I had no intention of ironing it myself. “Can you press one of my suits?”

Grelth’s eyebrows shot up. “Press your suit? Do I look like your servant?”

I leveled him with a flat stare. “Yes, Grelth. That’s literally your job.”

With a dramatic groan that echoed through the kitchen, he trudged toward my closet, muttering about “thankless employers” and “poor working conditions.”

“You’re the only brownie I know who complains this much,” I called after him, grinning as I polished off my toast.