---- Chapter 22 Scarlett was fuming. "So this is what you do now? You stand outside her office like a stalker, begging for scraps?" "It's not like that," Noah muttered, his eyes still fixed on Ava. Before Ava could say a word to end the miserable scene, Scarlett turned her fury on her. "And you!" she spat at Ava "You must be loving this, a little C-list game developer having two of the most eligible bachelors in the city fighting over you. You think this makes you special?" Ava just stared at her, her expression calm. "No. | think it makes me tired." The simple, honest answer seemed to disarm Scarlett for a moment. She had expected a fight, a denial, anything but this quiet weariness. Noah took the opportunity to step closer to Ava. "Ava, please. Just let me take you to dinner. Let me... let me cook for you." The offer was so unexpected, so out of character, that Ava actually blinked in surprise. "You? Cook?" The memory of the one and only time he'd tried to make her toast flashed in her mind. He had set off the smoke alarm and she'd had to air out the entire apartment. ---- A few nights earlier, in a desperate attempt to understand what he had lost, Noah had tried to replicate one of the simple meals Ava used to make for him. He'd gone to the grocery store, bought the ingredients, and stood in his multi-million- dollar kitchen, completely lost. He ended up getting a nasty cut on his finger while trying to chop an onion. Scarlett, who had been there, had been horrified. "What are you doing? Just call the chef!" she had shrieked when she saw the blood. "| want to do it myself," he had said through gritted teeth. "Ava used to do this all the time." "Why would you want to do something that boring little housewife used to do?" Scarlett had whined. "Besides, you're bleeding on the floor. It's disgusting." She had refused to help him, instead demanding he take her out to a fancy restaurant. The memory must have flashed through his mind too, because a flicker of shame crossed his face. "I've been practicing," he said weakly. "Noah, it's not about the food," Ava said, her voice gentle but firm. "It's over. You need to accept that." Scarlett, who had been watching this exchange with growing impatience, finally snapped. "Oh, I've had enough of this! You're pathetic, Noah. Absolutely pathetic." She looked at him with utter contempt. "Do you know what he told me the other day?" she said, her voice now addressing Ava directly, a cruel, ---- mocking tone in her voice. "He told me he wanted to learn to cook because that's what a 'good partner' does. He said he finally realized that a relationship isn't about grand gestures, it's about the small, everyday things." She let out a harsh laugh. "He spent three years treating you like dirt, and now that you're gone, he suddenly wants to be a better man. Isn't that ironic?" She turned back to Noah, her eyes blazing. "You don't want to be a better man, Noah. You just want her back because you can't stand that she's happy with someone else. You don't love her. You just lost." With that, she turned on her heel, stormed back to her car, and sped away, leaving a stunned silence in her wake. Noah looked at Ava, his face pale, his desperation laid bare for everyone to see. "She's wrong," he whispered. But Ava knew she wasn't. Scarlett, in her anger, had spoken the absolute truth. He didn't want her; he just didn't want to lose to Liam. "Goodbye, Noah," Ava said softly. She turned and walked back into her office building, her team following silently behind her, leaving him standing alone on the sidewalk, a monument to his own regret. Title: A Princess? No! I'm the Female General! In "A Princess? No! I'm the Female General!" by CrushReel, Adela Taylor, a noble family's daughter, disguises herself as her brother to secure their Duke title by joining the army. Despite facing obstacles, she achieves remarkable success. However, upon her triumphant return, her brother betrays her, setting off a chain of events that will test her resolve and reveal hidden truths. This captivating novel delves into themes of secrets, reincarnation, revenge, murder, and drama. Adela's journey from deception to betrayal is filled with intrigue and suspense as she navigates through a world where power dynamics and family loyalties collide. What sets this story apart is its strong female lead who defies expectations and challenges societal norms in a quest for justice and redemption. Experience the riveting tale of Adela Taylor online at CrushReel and witness the transformation of a princess into a formidable female general.