53 : the insufferable roommate While other kids his age had musicians and artists as celebrity crushes, his was anyone who prospered in the world of farming and the minister of agriculture topped his list. Like that, Trenor had to leave dejectedly after Mr Kim came to pick Olivia up and Joseph, who couldn't let the chance pass by, made an impression on the Minister of Agriculture by telling her all he knew about her, especially the fact that she was his favorite minister. They ended up visiting the Minister's home and her personal farm and eating fresh fruits straight from the tree. The minister was so touched that she invited Joseph especially to an official land opening ceremony that was to be recorded on live television. And like that, he promised Olivia his life for making his dream come through, because from then on, he was sure to use the opportunity well to achieve his dreams which he didn't fail to share with the kind female minister. They went home with a lot of fruits a
The knuckles of the hand that was gripping the support of her bed were already turning white from rage. He had just told her that his work was very important, but what he didn't tell her was that he thought her more important than anything in the world for reasons he himself couldn't explain, and that was why when she asked him the reason why, he pinned the blame on his usual victim, Olivia. "That's because of Olivia. My precious sister would be sad if you were alone," he said and from that moment on, his logic didn't add up, but she was too angry to try to reason with him. "Then why won't you let me see her? She's the only one I've asked to see since I woke up," he was doing it because of Olivia yet he wouldn't leave her side or let them meet. His smile disappeared as he looked at her bedside and picked up the fresh tulips in it. Her eyes followed his every moment without a word. This man was the strangest being in the world. She couldn't explain how he worked and she felt like r
55 - I love you with all my heart"His mom is pregnant and he is concerned. If you won't give us the books, the principal will hear of it," Olivia went straight to threats as she couldn't afford to waste too much time standing around. A stricter teacher could come around and send them to class. "Oh, I see, hehe," she chuckled nervously as they swiped their cards before giving them directions off hand."My second daughter is giving me my fourth grandchild, so I've been reading them myself," she smiled nervously at Olivia who remained cold while making a mental note to call their parents to confirm their statements. "My stepmom has been getting really angry recently and with dad not around, I don't know what to do, so I want to help her as much as I can. Thank you master for helping me talk to that woman too. Her face was so scary," he said with sincere gratitude as they picked the books they wanted to read. Although the librarian's face might have scared him, the middle aged woman
"Welcome back home," Zenith said with a smile as he wheeled her into the house she had walked out of barely two weeks ago. "Olivia, is she back yet?" She was so excited that she wanted to get off the wheelchair, but Zenith's hand on her shoulder stopped her, so she sat back down. "Not until two hours or so. Until then, why don't you get yourself familiarized with the environment." He said, but she shrugged his hand from her shoulder. "I didn't lose my memory this time, what use is it? Why don't we just go to Olivia's school to pick her up, I'm sure she would be excited to see me," she said. "Speak for yourself, you're practically bouncing on your seat," he said, but he pushed her in through the main door and closed it. "But there's nothing to do at home," she sighed, "I'm bored already."Well, you've got company. I brought the staff that attended to you wile you were in the hospital along. This way you won't be bored and the middle floor was cleared out and renovated to make your
57 - Ultimate ally, Olivia. “Don't you think Joseph's Stepmom is acting really strange?” Olivia asked as she helped Gift set the table. After another therapy session, she had insisted on making dinner because her limbs were sore from doing nothing. And for that reason, all the staff had to stay back because she couldn't be left alone with Olivia while doing such a task. “What do you mean?” Gift paused. “Well, she hasn't seen you since you woke up, but she didn't even bother to come in. And she zoomed off without saying a thing, not even a thank you. I don't like her!” Olivia said with a frown. “Come on, don't be like that, you know how pregnant people can be really sensitive right? Plus it's a first for her. I think it's us who need to be kinder, how about we pay them a visit during the weekend?” “Don't you have that water boat thing with my brother then?” Olivia reminded. “ You mean the ship cruise? I could find time after that. Or it would be better if we could meet outside
58 - hands on my chest. As they had their eyes locked, the doctors excused themselves and so did Olivia. “I will take my leave now,” they said one after the other until it was just the both of them in the dining area. Zenith was the first person to be aware of this and a smile crawled to his face after he was finally able to calm his mind. “Why are you looking at me like that? I need to sleep too,” Gift said as she wheeled her chair in reverse before moving forward when she finally reached the stairs and realized how much of a hassle it would be. “I made a custom order for an automatic wheelchair, but until then, don't you think I should keep my eyes in you?” He asked as he walked towards her and paused briefly before walking behind her and leaning his jaw on her shoulder “But there's no need for that. I'll start walking properly soon,” Gift tried to protest, but he wasn't having any of it. “Why don't you have dinner with me? I'm starving and as much as I'd have wanted to join
59- Innocent Trenor, Villain ZenithOlivia was busy training with the doctors on duty when they suddenly heard a commotion from the outside of the house and when she looked outside, she noticed Trenor's car and a bunch of people who she didn't know were in the house with her trying to stop someone from entering. “Isn't that Trenor?” She asked as she sat on her wheelchair, haven gotten tired of resting by the window.At the sound of his name, Gift didn't notice, but the people around her froze. It was the name Zenith had warned them against. “Never let him in,” had been his instruction to them. “And who are those people? Why are there so many men in black in front of the house? Are they thugs?” She muttered the first thing that came to her mind. “No, actually they are bodyguards,” her aide explained beside her. “Guards? How come I never saw anyone around?” Gift expressed her doubts. “Mr Zenith felt like you would not be used to having so many people around, that's why he didn't t
60 - because I like you“What?” “I like you and he knows this. He found out that I liked you for a long time and wanted to put some distance between us. It's been very difficult for me and although I know that I shouldn't disobey my boss. But what can I do when my feelings are involved? i-” “Didn't you say that your mother was waiting in the hospital? You've been talking for way too long for someone who's sick mother is waiting in the hospital,” the aide stepped forward before any more damage could be done, but when she turned and saw Gift's frozen face, she knew the damage had already been done. No matter how soft and approachable Trenor looked, she couldn't help but feel a strong wrong vibe coming from him. “That's right,” Trenor chuckled as he got up, “it's like this everytime I think about you too. I lose track of time and get scolded at work.” The aide widened her eyes looking flabbergasted at his quick reaction, “you sure know how to turn the situation around in your favor,
Gift's POV Today is the happiest day of my life, or rather each day has been getting happier for me ever since I met him, my boyfriend. We've had a lot of rocky days of course, but seeing him standing in that expensive suit, dressing to match my rhinestone dress which he had gotten for me to celebrate my matriculation just makes me feel even more happier and I have no doubt that he would find a way to make me happier woman by this time tomorrow. I can't help but smile at the thought of all the things he has put together and worked on for us to get here. He changed himself to fit me, a one of a kind man. “Gifty, where's my daughter?” I heard someone call from a distance as I looked around and saw Ruby Yu. She looked unlike how I'd ever seen her all the times we've met either physically or through video calls cos not once have I ever seen her in a pair of denim skirt and a white short sleeved button up shirt. I gasped as I walked up to hug her, “you look so stunning mom, I thought
“Who taught you how to make this” he asked with a voice so soft she had to be sure it was the same meanie talking to her. “No one. It's my first time making this,” she confessed.“How about your mother? She must have cooked this for you when you were younger, right?” He asked as if he was talking to a child, trying his best to be careful with his words“Uhn? I grew up in an orphanage,” She stuttered as she tried to form the words that failed to form. She wanted to tell him to stop acting nice as she had learned to be unrestrained and speak for herself over the months, however, there was a glistening in his eyes that made her stop. Something wasn't right. She watched as he set the chop sticks aside with shaky hands before rinsing a fork and grabbing a small ceramic plate for himself as he sat on a stool. After serving himself a small portion of everything which was a surprise for the young man who was around to assist in the supervision that he stood and watched with his mouth sligh
An hour down and the kitchen was left with just six of the original contestants; Gift, Beauty's mom, an Italian through and through, the lady with a fringe from earlier and two others who seemed to be sisters. “We can do this. Let's learn under Master Luca together,” the sisters cheered for themselves as they continued cooking, arranging the ingredients and trying their best to stay till the end. “It's a little too soon to address me as your master, don't you think?” Chef Luca said coldly and the ladies went silent, but that didn't diminish the brightness in their eyes. They were set and the determination was evident. Gift wasn't lacking behind either although she was with nobody to cheer for her beside her, she worked between sitting and standing while trying her best to remember and incorporate the basics that she had learnt over time. She only had her motivation and occasionally water and candy breaks to keep her company and that satisfied her. “And where do you think you're
“You tell me why you decided to choose this particular cucumber even though it's already starting to ripen?” He asked and the lady who had a fringe gulped and adjusted her expression before answering him. “This is a family dish and although people would not go for the ripe cucumber when buying in the market, I chose it so that that part could be served for the younger ones, l-like the child dish…,” she cleared her throat with a little stutter before continuing, “since the cucumber is not going to be steamed according to the recipe, this is the best way to make it easier for the child,” she said nervously, blinking up to ten times per second. Chef Luca had a straight face as he dropped the cucumber back in the ingredients plates before turning to look at Gift and saying with so much tenacity, “the competition can start, but I'll have you know that I won't hesitate to kick you out for the slightest of errors. Do your best if you want to prove yourself!” He said as the stuttering lady
“You are only standing here because you're lucky I will do anything for my godmother,” The moment chef Luca returned to the kitchen, he glared at her and Gift knew that he wasn't lying about that one, so she nodded and offered a small smile which he didn't bother to appreciate.but the moment he turned away from her, she let out a sigh of relief but she knew how much he valued ruby Yu from the way he personalized ‘godmother’. At this moment, Gift and Winifred had already set their ingredients on the table and were having mini talks until the next phase of the cooking competition would start when there was suddenly a noise coming from the storage area where they went to pick their ingredients.As they turned their head to the side, they saw the pompous lady from earlier who was bragging about her servants run out if the storage room with tears in her eyes. “You just wait until my I tell my husband about this,” she cleared her throat and sniffled before pausing to raise her head up so
“I like puppies more than cats,” Beauty said as she carried the furry car that had two long white stripes running from the back of its two ears to the tail where they joined as one, making the fail complete white on the top and black underneath. “Them leave my cat alone, you aren't even being true to yourself,” Olivia scoffed as she took a sit beside her and started to pet the other two kittens that had run to her laps. “The cat's for your mother, plus you named this very beautiful cat after me. How could I not pet it when we sure the same name?” Beauty argued back as she hugged the cat closer, her hand still brushing it's fur on the back. “I wish she gave Jonold my full name too, but instead she made me share with this fatty,” Arnold lamented as he kissed the face of the cat on his laps. All four of them were seated on a cushion with Beauty,Jornold and two other cats whose owners they didn't know. “Are you blind or do you need me to remind you that I basically can't gain too much
She had some friends who supported her this time, unlike those who considered her as competition back at the orphanage. This time around, her distraction was the genuine love she recieved from her family and not from someone who wanted to bring her down. She was genuinely supported, however, unlike those times when those exam papers were marked without a care for who owned them, those times when they grades were given fairly and without partiality, Gift felt a heavy dose of partiality weigh on her. Winifred squeezed her hand to support her,but they both decided to let it go. “I'll just raise my hand next time,” Gift muttered tl herself and hoped that was really the case. “Now you all will move on to picking out the ingredients as described in the recipes. Just twenty minutes for this stage and there is just enough for everyone.” The Italian in white said and they all nodded stiff for a moment. Him saying just enough for everyone sounded like a declaration of scarcity for Gift and
“These recipe is so strange, I never even knew that such a combination could exist,” Gift muttered to herself as she picked up the small pamphlet that was handed to all thirty of the contestants. While every single one of them was each given the same meal to cook, it was still all strange to them as Winifred and Gift showed eachother their pamphlet and they were able to.confurm it when others started murmuring. Just one dish written in Italian and English, Luca Bellucci family meal, but even those who claimed to have cooking certificates have the little pamphlet the same confusing look as Gift. It was safe to say that they were about to cook a meal based in written steps and no idea of how to go about it or how it should even taste beforehand. Some of them had never even heard of it before.Gift who didn't have the luxury to eat many foreign food due to her financial status before had spent the past two months watching YouTube videos, because she had gotten another helpful tip fro
“Please cooperate,” he was past being stubborn and had to lower himself to make Gift concede. There was still the issue with the cats and the children which included Joseph, Beauty and Olivia as it so turned out that Beauty's mom had connections enough to let her know about the competition and what better way to form a good relationship than cooking together. However, she had gone in ahead while leaving beauty with Olivia and Joseph after begging and confirming that there would be no traces of Scarlet or any friends with a gun. “The kids, but not Zenith. He can't go to somewhere like that, it'll stress him,” Gift said as she remembered how Zenith had to be rushed to the hospital at midnight of the night the cat's were first adopted. He had tried to force himself to adapt to the pets by hugging them through the night but there was only little his body could take then. However he didn't give up the two months that followed, training himself and diligently following the doctor's presc