Katie did not approve of these families, but she did feel honored. It was the fruit of her labor for many years. “Things are messy at the Frost household now.” In Katie's plan, Joey knew that Katie would not agree for their children to meet. Some had made attempts for their sons to meet with Leah in a private setting. It was a subtle shot at a marriage proposal. Only, Katie had high standards. These families were not good enough for her. “Jet sure is heartless to hurt his family. He’s a good-looking guy and a leader. It’s a shame that he’s ruthless.” Katie had considered working together with the Frosts, but after learning certain things, she dropped the idea. Her purpose was to get to greater heights through her daughter’s marriage. A person like Jet did not act on emotions. Even if Jet was interested in Leah, the marriage would be purely business. Leah would have no influence over Jet. Katie would stand to gain nothing. So, the marriage should not happen. Ka
Katie had her scary decisive moments. Though Joey’s heart went out to Leah, she understood the role she played. Joey must not act on her feelings if she wanted to keep her job. The job gave her financial independence. She needed to focus on the assigned tasks and keep her emotions in tow. Joey took out her phone to call Leah. She invited Leah to the hotel to sample the party food. Leah’s birthday party was just around the corner. The menu was based on Leah’s food preferences. However, Leah should have a say. After Katie left the villa, Leah chose to wander off. She strolled in the nearby mall for a change of scenery. Leah was around the block when Joey called. She was happy to see Joey. Taking her by the arm, Leah walked into a lounge. “You have no idea what my mom did, Joey. Kaze took care of Perry for me, but Mom wasn’t the least bit grateful. She tore Kaze a new one.” Leah would only behave like a child in Joey’s presence. “I heard about the incident. Madam
“I know that you have a lot on your plate too. I won’t keep you. I’ll be fine.” Leah had always been considerate. She would not get in Joey’s way when the latter was busy. “Enjoy the food here. Give me a call when you’re leaving. Don’t wander around. We are expecting a lot of guests at the hotel.” Just as Joey got up to leave, Katie’s instructions came to mind. She was at a loss for words. In the end, Joey sat back down and took a sip of wine. “What’s the matter? Is something wrong, Joey?” Leah felt uneasy. “We are hosting a few heirs at the hotel today, and they are interested in your hand-in-marriage.” There was no hiding. Biting the bullet, Joey let it all out. “I’m not ready for marriage now. I just broke up with Perry. I don’t want to dive straight into another.” Leah declined. She did not want to be tied down yet. “It’s not your choice to make.” Despite putting it subtly, Joey conveyed Katie’s message loud and clear. “My mother sent you. “What does
Joey believed that there was a chance to turn things around since nothing was set in stone yet. Most importantly, the high-ranking member of the Viper’s Den did not show any respect to Katie. Perhaps the VIP thought little of Katie. Even if Katie tried to curry his favor, she likely would not succeed. It was just hypothetical, though. If the VIP were interested in Leah’s hand-in-marriage, the whole thing would be a done deal. It would not matter if the VIP were married or promised to another woman. Leah would become a pawn. Leah relaxed. So long as there was room for changes, Leah would put in the effort. If the VIP were after her looks, Leah would give up her appearance in exchange for her freedom. Her mother may be very upset, but no one had the right to decide her happiness. Leah would not make such a drastic decision unless she had to. She could not back down now. Joey patted Leah’s shoulder to offer comfort. “Don’t worry too much about it. Your mother loves y
Kaze had to do everything himself. The walk along the path offered a nice view of the hotel’s garden in the back. Even at night, the streetlight illuminated the path and highlighted the lush greens. Not in a hurry to fill his belly, Kaze entered the garden. He planned to wander around and come for a swim tomorrow. The hotel was packed with guests, and no one knew who he was. Kaze could indulge himself a little. Kaze walked along the path and admired the blossoming flowers. Even at night, Kaze was impressed with the view. He looked up at the sky. The starry stars covered the night sky. It was not something he could see every day. Stars were rare in a concrete jungle. The clear weather tonight probably welcomed a myriad of stars. “The scenery here is great,” Kaze commented. He took a detour around the garden to head back to the lobby.On his way to the lobby, he saw a girl sitting in the gazebo. It was late. Yet, someone found time to rest in a gazebo. Kaze w
Leah hopped off the chair and approached Kaze. “It’s me. You helped me on the train today.” Leah held Kaze’s arm in glee. She thought they would never meet again. Leah did not even get his number, so she could not get in touch with him. By sheer luck, they ran into each other tonight. “It’s you.” Kaze thought the girl was quite a character. To think he would bump into her at the hotel. “Aren’t you upset with me? My mother was harsh today.” Though Leah was glad to see Kaze, Kaze’s friendly attitude shocked her. She assumed he would be mad, but he did not seem to care in the slightest. “Your mother and you are two separate people. Her behavior is not on you.” Kaze would not take out his anger toward Katie on Leah. They were mother and daughter, but they were their own persons. Katie’s statement did not represent Leah. “You’re such a great guy. I thought you’d be upset. A lot of people distanced themselves from me because of my mother. “But you don’t.” Leah was
Kaze found Leah adorable and energetic. She was an innocent cutie pie too. Leah was a rare gem of a girl. Since they were acquainted, it was only right Kaze helped her out. “I don’t know whether it’s true, but my mother’s assistant told me that she planned to marry me off to an old man.” It was unclear to Leah who the man from the Viper’s Den was, but he must rank higher and be older than Katie. Leah imagined the worst-case scenario, wondering if her mother would abandon her. “Why would she do that? Who is the man?” Kaze was taken aback. It was said that Katie adored her daughter and cared for her deeply. Surely, she would not choose her career over her daughter. “Joey told me that my mother went to the penthouse to visit the supposed guest from the Viper’s Den.” Leah recounted everything she knew. Kaze thought it was strange because he was the only one living on the top floor. There was no one else on the floor. To think Katie even paid a visit. Kaze had no i
“Don’t get yourself worked up. Everything will be fine.” Kaze stressed. Leah wiped her tears and stared at Kaze through her blurry vision. Though there was no telling whether Kaze was right, Leah wanted to give it a go. “Really? Is he not going to be on board with the idea?” Leah did not know where else to turn to. Kaze was surprised by the coincidence. If Katie wanted to give Leah’s hand-in-marriage to Kaze, he would definitely say no. There was no way that would happen. Kaze could not turn his back on Leah’s puppy-dog eyes. “Certain things aren’t so complicated. If you make things clear, I believe the VIP from the Viper’s Den will keep his distance. I doubt he will force a young lady.” This was his way of convincing Leah without exposing his identity. “I see. I will give it a shot then.” Putting faith in Kaze, Leah felt relaxed. She turned to Kaze. “What are you doing here? Are you working here?” Leah asked curiously. The Northborn Hotel’s clientele was th
Katie did not want to give up just yet. She lost her temper over her daughter’s matter but in order to prepare the perfect banquet, she had to get Master Fuller’s help. She knew how good Master Fuller was. The man used to be a chef at the national kitchen, serving high-ranking government officials, and also a member of the Viper’s Den, which explained his prestigious status. He always used his identity of the Viper’s Den to reject a certain job. However, being a great chef, the VIP customers he served fell in love with his food, which earned him more connections to many prominent figures. Therefore, making acquaintance with Master Fuller would also be making connections with his social network. Master Fuller retired from the national kitchen and settled down in Butterworth, and he was able to stay hidden in a small establishment because of his unusual dual identity. Most of the customers never knew his true identity. Katie knew because she was also backed by the Viper’s
Katie got angry. She already had a bad day for not being able to meet the guest at the penthouse. She was already embarrassed but due to that person’s identity, she was forced to endure the resentment and dared not voice her disagreement. Here, however, she did not need to hold back. Master Fuller was a member of the Viper’s Den but he used to be a normal agent, not someone extremely powerful. Katie was the CEO of Northborn Group. Her status and identity were far higher than Master Fuller’s, yet she was rejected by a mere waitress working at the restaurant. Master Fuller was simply being foolish. “I am the CEO of Northborn Group. Master Fuller is considered a subordinate to me. If I will it, you will go down with this entire place.” Katie thought that by revealing her identity, the waitress would be deterred and let her in. She quickly wore a smirk on her face and was ready to set foot in the establishment, but the woman refused to budge. “I’m sorry, we are not accept
The woman frowned. There were no reservations left for the day as it was already late. However, after Kaze and Leah dined in, someone else knocked on the door. She looked at Master Fuller. Master Fuller looked at Kaze and then shook his head at her. She then headed outside and opened the door while the knocks echoed. “Hi, do you have a reservation?” she asked politely. “I don’t have a reservation, but I’m here to see Master Fuller.” After the meeting, Katie dragged her exhausted body back to the hotel, hoping to rest while overseeing the preparation for the birthday event. However, after having a simple dinner, she realized she should prepare something special, as her daughter's birthday banquet was a significant occasion. She quickly found out about a retired chef who used to serve government officials at the national kitchen and there was a small restaurant of his nearby. Even though the restaurant currently only served the wealthy, if one paid enough, the chef wo
Master Fuller chuckled helplessly. He then added a few more dishes for Kaze and Leah. “I’m too full. I can’t eat anymore.” Leah ate a lot. The restaurant looked plain and dull but the food it served was amazing. “If you like the food, do visit us again.” Reservation was mandatory to dine at Master Fuller’s place but he made an exception for Leah because of Kaze, trying to earn his favor. “I’m definitely coming back,” Leah said with a determined gaze. “Great. If you come often, it means my cooking skills are still up to standard.” Master Fuller glanced at Kaze as he spoke, trying to confirm the next meeting. “We will be here for a while. We are staying at the nearby hotel ten minutes away from here. We will certainly drop by more often,” Kaze said. Master Fuller nodded happily. “You guys still have space for dessert?” Dessert was made with sweet potato using the simplest method. Kaze and Leah were stuffed after the main course. Since the sweet potato was still
Leah was scared of the heat. She blew at the fish before taking a small bite. The tenderness of the fish surprised her. It was flawless. “It’s delicious!” The girl was amazed. “Eat more if it’s nice.” Master Fuller had seen his fair share of female customers pretending to be a lady while dining but ultimately finishing every dish he served. He was happy about it. “The ingredients are so fresh. Where did you get them?” Leah spent a lot of time at the hotel so she knew how the hotel kitchen kept their ingredients fresh. “Most of the vegetables are from my backyard. Our food is nice because the ingredients are fresh.” Master Fuller pointed at the backyard. Kaze was rather surprised that the ex-national chef had the time to plant his own vegetables. “How big is the backyard? Can it supply the entire restaurant?” “There are other farmers in the area where I buy from. All the vegetables I purchase are what the farmers eat, so fewer pesticides and artificial fertilizer a
Due to the busy environment at the national kitchen, the chefs rarely had any time or opportunity to develop new dishes. Their focus was to get better at what they were already doing. Most of the time, creativity was not necessary. However, when Master Fuller retired, he started to enjoy life to make up for the time lost. It also allowed him to add more flavors to his current cooking as his vision broadened. He tended to his vegetables in the backyard during the day. After a day's work, he cooked something nice for himself, enjoying the fruits of his labor with a grateful heart. Whenever he cooked, he would think of the hard work behind caring for the ingredients. With a grateful heart, his food carried gratitude and appreciation for the gifts of nature. Kaze had a piece of vegetable and it was indeed fresh. “Nice. This feels extremely fresh.” He did not have much thought about it as he was here just to eat. Master Fuller prepared the simplest dish that every family wou
“Tell me, what do you think I added inside the tofu?” Master Fully asked confidently, assuming that the girl would never know the answer. When he made the tofu, he did not know what to add yet and simply wanted an original taste of the soybeans. Suddenly when he was grinding the soybeans, he had a spark of a thought and believed he should add something to enhance the flavor. It would save him the work to cook it when the tofu was formed. “It’s simple. Other than some salt, you also added some sauce. I believe you made the sauce yourself. It’s the sauce that makes the tofu so silky smooth. It feels like I’m eating a piece of cloud. It also has a unique fragrance when bitten.” Leah expressed her thoughts and then looked at Master Fuller with anticipation. Master Fuller was slightly surprised but on second thought, it only made sense. “You are quite a bright child. You did your homework,” he said. “When I was younger, I always messed around with the ingredients in the kitche
“I see. So that’s how this restaurant operates. It’s something new and interesting. I can bring my friends here next time,” Leah said specifically. She did not expect a small establishment would have such a unique way of serving customers and it was refreshing. “Just tell them what you want and they will prepare for you,” Kaze said. “I’m not particularly into anything right now. I don’t really have an appetite, so maybe something light?” Leah never had any favorite food. “If that’s the case, let’s just go with something casual,” Kaze said, with a hint of urgency as he was hungry. Master Fuller knew Kaze’s identity but he did not engage in a conversation because of Leah. He simply smiled and nodded. Then, appetizers were served. Kaze forked the cucumber and took a bite. A sweet taste filled his mouth with every crunch. “How is this cucumber made? It looks like it’s not seasoned but it's so sweet!” Leah was amazed by the taste. She got used to the exquisite cuisine
“Here for dinner? What would you like to have?” The elderly man, Master Fuller, was surprised to see Kaze. He thought after stepping down from serving government officials, it would be difficult for him to meet powerful figures anymore. To his surprise, someone powerful arrived at his little establishment. “We’re hungry. We are just looking for something simple to eat,” Kaze said as he simply sat down at the table. The table was part of a big circular formation, surrounding a huge cooking space in the center, where hungry patrons could watch the chef cook. Kaze sat down at the outer ring of the table, granting him a clear view of the chef’s cooking station. Leah sat right beside him. The girl had been scanning the room from the moment she entered. The room was surrounded by many wooden sculptures coupled with old drawings. All the sculptures and drawings looked interesting. She wondered if they were all real. “This place feels great. I can visit whenever I have the ti