Chapter 4275

Chapter 4275

Elora replied honestly, “Mom, I met Tatum for the first time on the day of his interview.”

When she first laid eyes on Tatum, she was taken aback.

She had anticipated that a chef with such remarkable cooking skills would be at least 40 years old. To her surprise, Tatum was only in his twenties.

If he hadn’t personally prepared two dishes for her during the interview, she might have questioned whether he had actually cooked them himself.

Tatum was not only young but also handsome and refined. At first glance, Elora would never have guessed he was a chef.

Watching him cook live, tasting his dishes, and confirming their flavors eliminated any doubts—those incredible meals were undoubtedly his creations.

Still, she harbored some reservations.

However, she chose not to voice them at the time. Instead, she allowed him to pass the interview.

She reasoned that if he was truly skilled, it would become apparent once he started working. If he had simply gotten lucky during the interview, his true abilities would reveal themselves soon enough. As a private chef, he would have to manage everything on his own—there would be no one else to rely on.

Time validated his talent.

Tatum revealed that he had loved cooking since childhood. Despite his young age, he had already spent 20 years perfecting his craft.

Experience makes the master.

He had trained under several accomplished chefs, learning from the best. His natural talent, paired with years of practice, made him exceptional.

“I only met him for the first time at the interview. How could you be his fiancée?” Mrs. Ormond questioned. “Elora, don’t be deceived. If you told me you two had known each other before but forgot and later reconnected, I might believe it. But you had no prior connection. You didn’t even know his name when he interviewed. Our family has no ties to the Yorks. It’s a stretch to say you’re his fiancée.”

She

Elora didn’t want to believe that Tatum was lying, but the entire situation seemed implausible.

“Mom, you missed the crucial point,” Elora clarified. “His grandmother selected his fiancée for him. She provided him with a photo, her name, and some basic details, then gave him a year to win her over.”

For someone like Tatum—talented, handsome, and apparently loyal—it wouldn’t take a whole year for a woman to fall for him. Elora herself had only needed three or four months, not even half a year.

Grandma York clearly had confidence in her grandsons, which is why she allowed them a year to pursue their chosen partners.

“It wasn’t Tatum who picked me, Mom; it was Grandma York. Do you honestly believe he traveled all this way to be a private chef solely because he enjoys cooking? He knew I was the woman his grandmother had chosen, so he kept tabs on our family. When he learned that I was hiring a private chef, he made his move. I’m not sure how Grandma York discovered me, but she’s truly remarkable. In her youth, she traveled extensively—not just for leisure, but to find suitable wives for her grandsons.”

Elora continued, “Mom, you know our family’s standing in Annenburg. I bear a lot of responsibility. Grandma York wouldn’t have had any trouble finding out about me.”

Mrs. Ormond suddenly felt a sense of unease. “If that old lady intended to harm our family, we wouldn’t even see it coming.”

Unbeknownst to them, Grandma York had investigated Elora, studied her character, and quietly orchestrated everything—placing Tatum in her life as a private chef and allowing emotions to develop naturally. Tatum was effectively securing both love and a career at the same time.