第1章厨房春潮-我的妺妺h

As they ate, Samantha looked at her plate, poking at her toast absentmindedly. "Maybe I should go on a diet," she muttered, a touch of self-consciousness in her voice. "I\'ve really gained weight."

Don, chewing thoughtfully, raised an eyebrow. "It\'s the good kind of weight," he said casually, knowing just what to say to make her feel better.

Samantha laughed, shaking her head. "You\'re only saying that to make me feel better."

Feigning offense, Don put down his spoon. "You don\'t trust your own son? That hurts."

She couldn\'t help but smile at his playful tone. "Fine, you win," she conceded with a light-hearted sigh. Then, with a more serious tone, she added, "But you should hurry up. Claire isn\'t the type of person to keep waiting. She\'ll be here soon."

As if on cue, the sound of a car horn echoed from outside. Samantha smiled knowingly. "Told you."

Don sighed, standing up from the table. The previous night, he had spent hours thinking through potential strategies for dealing with Miss Claire, even using Gary Assist to gather as much information as possible.

But despite all his planning, he wasn\'t confident about any of it. Claire was an enigma to him, and attempts to pry information from Summer had been unfruitful. If it weren\'t for the system\'s objectives, he would have preferred to spend more time strengthening his bonds with his new family before trying to impress someone like Claire.

But the clock was ticking, and he had no choice but to dive in headfirst.

As he walked to the door, a thought crossed his mind: today was Friday, and he had to meet up with Tori, the old Don\'s internet friend from *Call of Responsibility*. "Just great," he muttered under his breath.

As he opened the door, he was surprised to find Sylvia standing there, hand raised as if about to ring the doorbell. She froze for a split second, then broke into a wide smile, her voice exaggeratedly cute as she greeted, "Good morning!"

"Good morning," Don replied, keeping his tone neutral. He still hadn\'t addressed what had happened between them in the fitting room at the mall, and from the way Sylvia acted, it seemed she preferred it that way.

Don wasn\'t quick to assume that she had a crush on him—he hadn\'t seen how she interacted with other guys, and he didn\'t want to jump to conclusions. Better to play it safe for now.

"Sooo," Sylvia began, drawing out the word as she looked at him expectantly. "I hear you and my mom are going to SCHO HQ today to finalize everything?"

Don nodded. "That\'s the plan." He stepped out of the house, closing the door behind him. "Is your mom dropping you and Summer off first?"

Sylvia shook her head quickly. "Nope. Summer and I are going with Samantha."

"Oh, alright," Don said, starting to move toward the car parked outside. "I better not keep your mother waiting, then."

"Good idea," Sylvia agreed with a grin. "Goodbye, cutie!" she called after him as she stepped inside the house.

Don walked over to the car—a Rolls Royce Phantom, black and imposing in its design—where the bald bodyguard from the mall stood by the door, holding it open.

The man\'s expression was as stony as ever, and Don didn\'t bother with pleasantries, simply nodding as he climbed into the backseat. Inside, he found Miss Claire sitting comfortably with a book in hand. She didn\'t look up as Don settled into his seat and fastened his seatbelt.

"Good morning," Don said politely, breaking the silence.

Without turning her head or lifting her eyes from the book, Claire replied, "Good morning," her tone distant, almost detached.

Don thought to himself, \'Yeah, this isn\'t awkward at all.\'

The car started off, gliding smoothly down the road as classical music played softly in the background. The drive to the Santos City Hero Operations HQ took about thirty minutes, the cityscape gradually giving way to more forested surroundings.

As they approached, the high-tech facility came into view. It was a vast complex that looked more like a military base than a simple headquarters.

It was surrounded by tall fences topped with barbed wire, and security checkpoints were visible at regular intervals. The buildings themselves were a made of steel and glass, with the kind of infrastructure that suggested both power and secrecy.

The car slowed as they approached the entrance, where their identities were confirmed by security before they were allowed to pass through. Finally, the car came to a stop in a designated parking area.

As soon as Don and Miss Claire exited the vehicle, Benjamin appeared, striding toward them with a practiced smile. "Good morning, Miss Claire. Don, glad you could make it."

Don nodded in acknowledgment, his expression neutral. Miss Claire, without missing a beat, closed her book and tucked it under her arm. "Good morning, Mr. Benjamin," she said, her voice carrying that same air of elegant authority that Don had already come to expect from her.

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Benjamin gestured toward the entrance. "If you\'ll follow me, we can get started."

As they walked toward the entrance of the facility, Don couldn\'t help but notice the way the security personnel seemed to straighten up as they passed, their eyes sharp and alert.

They soon entered the main building, the interior modern, with polished floors and walls lined with digital displays showing various security feeds and data. Benjamin led them down a long corridor to a conference room, where a stack of documents awaited them on the table.

"Here we are," Benjamin said, gesturing to the papers. "We\'ve made the adjustments as per your recommendations, Miss Claire, but we\'ll go through everything again just to be thorough."

Miss Claire nodded, her expression unreadable as she took a seat and began to peruse the documents. Don watched her for a moment before taking his own seat.

Miss Claire quietly reviewed the documents for a solid thirty minutes, her eyes scanning each page with the focus of a hawk. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she nodded in satisfaction and spoke in her composed tone, "Everything seems to be in order."

Benjamin, who had been sitting across from them with a smile plastered on his face, nodded enthusiastically. "Perfect! Shall we get to signing, then? Once that\'s done, Don can be given a proper tour of the facility and registered in the databa—"

Before he could finish, Miss Claire raised a hand, cutting him off smoothly. "I\'d like to speak with Don privately first," she said, her voice carrying a subtle edge of authority that left no room for argument. "I want to ensure he fully understands the contract so he doesn\'t inadvertently breach any terms, and I\'d also like to explain the benefits he\'ll be receiving."

Benjamin\'s smile faltered slightly, a flicker of disappointment crossing his face before he quickly masked it. "Oh, of course," he replied, standing up from his seat. "I\'ll just be outside." With that, he left the room, the door clicking softly shut behind him.

Once they were alone, Miss Claire turned her attention fully to Don. Her gaze was sharp, but not unkind, more like a teacher about to deliver an important lesson. "This contract," she began, sliding the documents toward him, "is designed to ensure that you can operate effectively within the Elite Hero Program while retaining a level of freedom that most other members do not have."

She then began to explain the key points of the contract. "You will receive a monthly allowance to support your activities as a hero, and there will be significant security upgrades to your home. This includes two advanced security droids created by Dr. Gadget, specifically designed for protection and surveillance.

You\'ll also have access to top-tier health and fitness facilities, which will be essential for maintaining your abilities. Additionally, you\'ll be granted a license to operate as a hero in accordance with the Santos City Hero Rules of Engagement, giving you the legal backing to act in situations where normal citizens cannot."

Don listened carefully, noting how thorough she was in explaining each benefit. It was clear that she wanted him to understand exactly what he was getting into. When she finished, she looked at him expectantly. "Do you understand everything?"

Don nodded. "Yes, I understand."

"Good," she replied, her tone softening slightly before she indicated where he should sign.

Don picked up the pen and, after a moment\'s hesitation, signed the document. Miss Claire nodded in approval, gathering the papers together neatly. "Congratulations," she said plainly.

Don offered her a small smile. "Thank you. If it wasn\'t for you, I\'d likely be getting the short end of the stick."

Miss Claire arched an eyebrow. "It\'s not just likely; it\'s a fact. You would have been signing away your freedom and benefits had you done so without proper counsel."

Don forced a chuckle, feeling slightly exposed under her scrutiny. "You don\'t mince words."

"I\'m an attorney, darling," she replied smoothly. "It\'s my job to present facts as they are, not to sugarcoat them." Her gaze sharpened again as she added, "Now that the matter of the Hero Program is dealt with, there\'s still the issue of our own agreement."

Don frowned slightly, confused. "Our agreement? What do you mean?"

Miss Claire\'s lips curled into a slight smile, one that didn\'t quite reach her eyes. "Did your mother not tell you? No matter." She explained, "Your mother and I agreed that I would act as your legal representative going forward."

"Oh," Don replied, surprised. "She didn\'t mention that, but I don\'t have a problem with it."

Miss Claire\'s expression hardened slightly. "You shouldn\'t be so quick to agree to things, Don. That\'s a surefire way to always get the short end of the stick."

Don thought to himself that she was impossible to please, but he kept his thoughts to himself.

"However," she continued, "this arrangement will be beneficial for both of us. You\'ll have an experienced legal representative, and I\'ll gain a client within the Elite Hero Program. But understand this: I only stand to benefit if you become a well-known hero. So, in a way, I\'m taking a gamble on you."

Don couldn\'t help but ask, "Why take the gamble?"

Miss Claire\'s gaze softened, but only slightly. "My daughter seems to believe you have potential. As for myself, I\'ll believe it when I see results."

Don nodded, accepting her reasoning. It was clear that getting close to her was going to be a challenge, far more difficult than he had initially thought.

After she was satisfied with the conversation, Miss Claire gathered the signed documents. "Let\'s hand these over. As for our agreement, I\'ll draft a contract and send it to your mother for review."

Don nodded and followed her out of the room. As they walked down the corridor to meet Benjamin, he couldn\'t shake the feeling that getting close to Miss Claire was going to require more than just clever words and charm.