Like a man who had already won a game before the other player even realized he was losing, Adam picked up another dumpling, took a bite for himself and asked," So, you must be the assistant. The one who helped Melanie to have my mother thrown out?"
Melanie glamced up. His mother? That was the first time she had ever heard him refer to Madam Collins that way. Usually, it was a cold, detached 'the woman' or a sharp 'her'—never something as personal as my mother.
It wasn't lost on her, and she opened her mouth, ready to ask about it, but before she could utter a single word, a half-eaten dumpling was unceremoniously stuffed into her mouth. She made a muffled noise of protest, glaring up at Adam, who merely smirked and turned his attention back to Ben.
"I am," Ben finally answered stiffly and Adam nodded, "Good. Then I'll assume my wife is in good hands while she works herself to death."
