My Rival, My Lover Chapter 6 Read Online for Free

I froze, my grip tightening around the phone. Athena. She had no idea about this, and I wasn’t ready to explain it to her yet.

"She won’t find out," I said firmly. "At least not now. I’ll handle it soon."

Kenneth sighed on the other end. "Clinton, you know she’s going to ask questions. She already doesn’t like you working for Cloud. If she finds out you’re living in his house—"

"I said I’ll handle it," I cut him off, my voice sharper than I intended. I took a deep breath and softened my tone. "Just don’t tell her. Please."

"Fine, fine," Kenneth relented. "But don’t come crying to me when all hell breaks loose."

I ended the call and tossed my phone onto the nightstand. Raking a hand through my hair, I sat on the edge of the bed. The mattress was ridiculously comfortable, but sleep refused to come. The unfamiliar room, the weight of my new responsibilities, and the looming issue of Athena all swirled in my mind, refusing to let me rest.

Then my stomach growled. Loudly.

I scowled. Great. I was hungry. And of course, Cloud hadn’t bothered to invite me to dinner. Did he expect me to survive on air?

I wasn’t an animal.

Annoyed, I got up and left the room, heading toward the kitchen. The mansion was eerily quiet, the only sound being the faint hum of the air conditioning.

When I reached the kitchen, I flicked on the lights and took a step forward—then froze.

There, standing by the refrigerator, was Cloud. Topless.

A bottle of water was tilted against his lips, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly as he drank. His toned torso, lean but muscular, was illuminated under the kitchen lights, making every defined line of his physique visible. His skin had a slight sheen to it, as if he had just finished working out or taken a shower. Either way, the sight was enough to make me forget why I even came here in the first place.

Cloud lowered the bottle and turned his gaze toward me. "You look like you’ve seen a ghost."

I snapped out of my daze, clearing my throat. "I—uh, wasn’t expecting anyone here."

"It’s my house," he said dryly, setting the bottle down on the counter. "Why wouldn’t I be here?"

"I meant at this hour."

Cloud smirked slightly. "Couldn’t sleep?"

I crossed my arms, leaning against the doorway. "Something like that."

"Hunger keeps you up?"

I clenched my jaw. Damn him for being so observant. "I wasn’t invited to dinner."

Cloud raised an eyebrow. "You could’ve joined. I didn’t tell you to starve."

"I’m not going to sit down and eat when I wasn’t asked to," I muttered. "I have some self-respect."

Cloud chuckled and shook his head. "Stubborn as always."

He moved toward one of the cabinets, pulling out a loaf of bread and some other ingredients. "Sit."

I frowned. "What?"

"Sit down. I’ll make you something."

I hesitated. Cloud Smith, the same man who ordered me around without a second thought, was offering to make me food? "You can cook?"

"Basic things," he replied. "I’m not useless,."

He started making a simple sandwich, moving with an efficiency that surprised me. I reluctantly took a seat at the counter, watching him work. The silence wasn’t awkward—it was… oddly comfortable.

"You don’t have to do this," I muttered after a while.

Cloud glanced at me. "I know. But I am."

Minutes later, he slid a plate toward me. A sandwich, neatly cut in half, along with a glass of water. "Eat."

I stared at the food, then at him. "Thanks."

"Don’t make it weird," he muttered, grabbing his water bottle again.

I huffed a quiet laugh and took a bite. To my surprise, it was good. Simple, but good. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until I started eating. Cloud leaned against the counter, watching me with a neutral expression.

"So," he said after a moment. "You going to tell me what’s keeping you up? Or is it just the hunger?"

I swallowed and wiped my mouth with a napkin. "Nothing important."

Cloud tilted his head slightly, studying me. "If you say so."

Silence stretched between us again, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. For the first time since starting this job, I didn’t feel like I was just Cloud’s employee. There was something else—something unspoken. But I wasn’t about to analyze it now.

I finished my food and stood. "Thanks for the food. I should get some rest."

Cloud nodded, but before I could leave, he spoke again. "Clinton."

I turned back. "Yeah?"

He hesitated for a fraction of a second before shaking his head. "Never mind. Get some sleep."

I frowned slightly but nodded. "Goodnight, sir."

As I walked back to my room, I couldn’t shake the feeling that tonight had changed something between us. What exactly, I wasn’t sure yet. But I knew one thing—Cloud Smith was far more complicated than I had originally thought.

Once I was back in my room, I sank onto the bed, exhaling slowly. My phone was still on the nightstand, and without thinking, I picked it up and unlocked the screen. My fingers hovered over the keyboard before I finally typed out a message to Athena.

I miss you.

I hit send before I could overthink it. The seconds stretched into minutes as I stared at my phone, waiting for a reply.

When my screen finally lit up, my heart gave a small, stupid leap.

Then I saw the message.

A single smile emoji.

I stared at it, my excitement deflating almost instantly. That was it? No words, no emotion—just a meaningless symbol. My grip on the phone tightened before I tossed it back onto the nightstand with a frustrated sigh. What did I expect? Warmth? Reassurance? A sign that she missed me too?

I rubbed my hands over my face. This was pointless. I needed to stop hoping for something that wasn’t there.

Rolling onto my side, I forced my eyes shut, willing myself to sleep. But when I remembered how Cloud Smith make food for me, I couldn’t help but smile.