30 minutes passed in the blink of an eye. Soon, the venue began to announce a ten-minute countdown. The works of the other contestants were nearing completion. Even Kayla had started to work on the oven.Only then did the figure who had been dozing off begin to move.Lana removed her sunglasses, revealing a bright pair of eyes. She had a cold yet enchanting gaze. It was evident that she was a beauty from just one look alone.She took out a thermos from her backpack and poured the pre-prepared broth into the pot. Then, she retrieved a sealed container from her bag. She shook the pasta inside and placed them into the boiling broth. After the pasta was cooked, she scooped them into a plate and sprinkled some green onions as garnish. Her masterpiece was complete. The other contestants who had been observing her blink in surprise. They couldn't help but curse inwardly. Does that dish even count as a competition entry?How is this any different from the pasta their mom makes
The judges couldn't believe their eyes when a plate of plain pasta appeared in the competition. A few of them even rubbed their eyes in an attempt to give the dish the benefit of the doubt.After experiencing the exquisite dish prepared by Kayla, Lana's pasta seemed like a joke.Even if the pasta sauce seemed tasteless and had no meat, surely some vegetables were still in it? However, she had only garnished the dish with green onions. It was as if she was too stingy to cook other side dishes. "Please introduce your dish." Lana finally opened her eyes after hearing the question. She had been up all night preparing the pasta sauce, causing her to doze off today."This is pasta, made with—""Pasta? Anyone can make the same dish. Why did you enter the competition with it?" Terence interrupted her without letting her finish. "Shouldn't you show some sincerity if you want to compete? What do you take us for?" he continued.After Terence's passionate speech, Justin chimed in, "
"No way!" Kayla was the first to stand up and express her doubts. She thought that today's competition was specially tailored for her to showcase her culinary skills. Plus, she didn't notice any underdogs present. So she couldn't be in second place.Terence paused for a moment. And then, he calmly announced as if he hadn't heard Kayla's words, "First place goes to Lana Clark!""Lana?""Who is Lana?"Before this, Kayla was one of the more famous people among the contestants. Who was this Lana who suddenly appeared out of nowhere?Kayla frowned. Her pretty face creased in thought, and she whispered to her assistant beside her. "Quickly, go and find out who this Lana is.""Lana is the person I was talking about!" Carol, who was standing nearby, immediately said.Her face was as pale as a ghost. From the looks of it, one might even think she had lost the competition! How could it be Lana again? And how did she manage to defeat Kayla? How was that possible?At that moment, a slend
Justin added in a defeated tone, "Kayla, your dish today is indeed full of creative ideas, but when it comes to seasoning …"Although he didn't finish his sentence, it was even more hurtful."I told you, your seasoning is the problem. It's too bland. You can't even taste the original flavor of the food." Yves was an adorable senior. He didn't think too much about it and directly expressed his thoughts. "Wait, you're Mr. Stark's granddaughter? How could he have such a terrible cook as his granddaughter?" John realized belatedly.Lucas shook his head in defeat. "We already turned a blind eye to you and gave you points. And yet, you're accusing other people of cheating. If there really is someone playing unfairly, it's you! Did you know? She achieved a perfect score."Comments left by the five judges were like arrows striking into her chest. It was too painful to even lift her head.Kayla suddenly realized that she had tarnished her family's reputation!"Don't give up!" Lana,
Violet became upset after bringing up the topic."Exactly! How can someone so young and healthy be abandoned like this?" Violet asked.She was so frustrated that she stomped her feet. "Is it because there's something wrong with his head?"If Liam has something wrong with his head, then wouldn't everyone in this world be considered foolish?John took Liam's side and retorted, "That can't be. My uncle is brilliant. He was already leading the Kanes at eighteen."Violet nodded. She was supported by Darla and John as they walked into the room. "Yes, you're right. He's quite clever! How can such a clever and handsome person be abandoned? What could be the reason?"After saying that, Violet glanced around sneakily and then leaned in to whisper to John. "Do you think it's a problem in that department?"John covered his mouth, and his eyes widened in surprise. "What? No way!"It seemed like he stumbled across an extraordinary gossip. Hopefully, his uncle wouldn't silence him.Seeing
"Grandma, is it good?"John took a bite of the pasta, looking satisfied as he watched Violet.However, Violet had no interest in talking to him at all. She was eating her pasta loudly, almost burying her head in the plate.She had a vegan diet, and Liam had hired many skilled chefs to prepare vegan dishes for her. However, she had never tasted vegan food as delicious as this plate of pasta.John took a few more bites of pasta and asked, "Grandma, did you hear me?"Violet, who had only ever called him "dear", suddenly gave him a light tap on the back of his head. "Stop bothering me, little rascal. You're disturbing my meal."Despite being hit, John felt overjoyed. It seemed that the cooking skills of his future wife had won Violet over. Their future was looking good now!John had known since he was a child that Violet had the sharpest judgment when it came to people. If she said someone was good, then they were definitely good.Meanwhile, Lana noticed something from the surveill
When Lana learned that Eric had arrived, she felt a headache coming.It had been a month since then. How had he still not given up?Ever since George's birthday banquet, Eric seemed to be attached to Lana. He kept calling every day, asking her how she was and inviting her out. He even suggested fetching Lana to and from work.Yet, Lana ended up refusing his kind gestures.It was difficult enough to get away from the Kanes. She had no intention of marrying into any wealthy family again. Right now, she only wished to earn money. With money, she could have any guy she wanted.Eric was in a white suit, with his medium-length hair tied into a small braid. He had a straight nose with a pair of gold-framed glasses. He seemed like a prince charming from fairy tales.He casually found a place to sit and was about to call Lana when she appeared."You're finally willing to see me?" Lana replied awkwardly, "It's not like I was avoiding you intentionally."Eric gently pushed his glasses
"Faster, Milo! The movie is about to start!" The people in front urged.Nadia also turned around and added, "Come on, what are you standing there for?"The young man with glasses was Milo. When Nadia turned around, his gaze lit up with affection. "I'm coming, I'm coming."Nadia had already bought the movie tickets for a group of six, and their seats were all together.To create an opportunity for Milo and Nadia, the other four insisted that they sit in the middle.The movie was a comedy, which created a light-hearted and funny atmosphere. Everyone kept laughing.Milo occasionally glanced at Nadia, clearly not paying attention to the movie. Nadia, on the other hand, was unaware of the glances and enjoyed the movie. After all, she had never dared to imagine this kind of life before.After the movie ended, someone suggested having dinner together.Nadia had to work at the spa in the evening, so she didn't want to go. But Milo looked at her affectionately and said, "If your famil
Would Lana forgive him and spend the rest of her life with him?Liam's heart was filled with a sense of anticipation.Since the reason for the incident had been clarified, everyone let out a sigh of relief at the same time and also went back to rest. Even Leonardo was taken away just to give the two people who had been apart for a long time some space to be alone.After everyone had left, Liam straightened out his clothes and approached Lana, then proceeded to slowly crouch down."Lana!"In the man's deep and sexy voice, there was an unusual tremor and a hint of choked emotion.Liam had no idea what kept him going during these years after losing Lana.Liam didn't dare to do anything too bold. Instead, he gently leaned his handsome face against Lana's hand, repeatedly calling her name.Three years had already passed since Lana left in a fit of anger, setting off a series of events afterward.If she still had any resentment, it would have vanished when she saw Liam's tall figu
Liam's outstretched hand awkwardly hung in the air, and eventually, he could only withdraw it."Speak up if you have something to say, or else, stay quiet. We're not in the mood to listen to you." Hector's attitude toward Liam was still unfavorable, to the extent that he didn't even want to see him.Lana suddenly said, "Something very serious actually happened today."Following that, she placed Leonardo down and showed everyone the wound on his neck.A ring of red marks surrounded Leonardo's delicate neck. In some places, the marks were so swollen that it looked like a tire had been wrapped around his neck. It was a shocking sight to behold.Hector, Violet, Mandy, and Romelius were immediately enraged."What happened to Leo?""What happened to his neck? It could have been fatal if it was any worse.""Who was responsible for watching Leo today? How could they be so negligent and let the child get injured so badly?""This doesn't look like any ordinary wound. It looks like it wa
"Stop looking at me like that. If you want to kill or torture me, go ahead." Cynthia knew what would happen to her after the truth came out, so she gave up struggling. "However, even after my death, I'll haunt you for the rest of your life!"As they listened to her absurd threat, Lana and the Traffic Light Trio burst into laughter."If ghosts were real, then Emilia would be the first to look for you."When her deceased sister was mentioned, Cynthia's smile remained unchanged. "That fool probably never knew it was me who betrayed her until her death."Considering the situation, Cynthia didn't believe she could leave the Garrison Villa tonight."What exactly do you gain by single-handedly destroying the Cooper family?"Lana was still very confused by Cynthia's actions.After all, Emilia and Cynthia were twins and had the same blood coursing through their veins. With all the Coopers gone, Cynthia had nothing to gain from it either!Cynthia sneered at Lana's question. "Lana, yo
On the evening of the banquet, the Garrison Villa was bustling with distinguished guests.Initially, everyone's attention was on the precious great-grandson of the Garrison and Kane family. With his confident and lively demeanor, the chubby child was absolutely adorable. Everyone was naturally curious about who the child might have chosen as his stepmother.It should be noted that the Garrison and Kane family only had one great-grandson. His future was destined to be extraordinary. As long as one could control the child, it was much more worthwhile than dealing with those individuals from the two affluent families.After all, the elders from the two families were very attentive and doting toward this child. Surprisingly, Liam, who was said to have been away from home for a long time, had returned. During the reception of guests, he unexpectedly had a smile on his face.The ladies who had come tonight, vying for the position of Liam's wife, became even more excited.Liam typi
On the night before the banquet, Romelius and Mandy finally brought Leonardo back.Lana was overjoyed, and she immediately went to the bungalow where they were staying.At that time, Leonardo had just returned home and was playing with toys on the living room floor."Leo, you're back! Did you miss Mommy? Mommy missed you so much!"Lana ran toward Leonardo, talking to him while reaching out to hug him. In a flash, Leonardo suddenly ran toward Romelius while holding a toy car.After that, he kept hiding in his arms, refusing to come out. He would occasionally peek out from the gaps to glance at Lana.His actions clearly showed that he refused to accept Lana.Lana's enthusiasm was dampened, and her outstretched arms awkwardly remained in midair. She looked at Romelius and then at Mandy as if waiting for them to persuade Leonardo. However, these two remained silent and only greeted Lana in a casual manner."Oh, Lana, you've come?" Mandy said while presenting her with a basket o
Due to the fact that the Garrison family was going to hold a banquet to introduce the mother of their beloved great-grandson, Leonardo, the Garrisons once again became the talk of the town in Dawsbury.The last time Dawsbury was so lively was when Hector introduced the Garrison family's heir to everyone.As soon as the news was released, the Garrisons became noticeably busier in the following days. All of them were busy scurrying around and helping Hector deliver the invitations.In addition to people who had business dealings with the Garrison family, the invitations were naturally sent to people who were familiar with Lana in the past. Therefore, as soon as the Traffic Light Trio received the invitation, they didn't even go to work and immediately ran to Liam's office—intending to get an explanation from him.At that time, Liam had just finished a phone call from overseas and was deep in thought when the office door was suddenly kicked open.Lincoln stood at the door, looking
With that, Sawyer ignored the unpleasant expressions on Freya and Hector's faces. He immediately picked up his child and walked away.Hector was furious. He glared at Liam, his eyes burning with anger. It was clear that he thought Liam was the one responsible for Lana's predicament.Liam was once again innocently caught in the crossfire.Freya set aside her current tasks, offered some comforting words to Hector, and then got up and chased after them.She knew Sawyer well enough and was certain that he would never have treated someone like this unless there was a reason.As Freya's family of three left, Lana's face bore a sorrowful expression. "Since I'm not welcome here, I guess I'll just go."With that, Lana got up and walked toward the door.Hector and Violet had been waiting for Lana's return for a long time. Now that she was finally back, how could they possibly let her go?Naturally, the two of them chased after Lana and tried to talk her out of leaving. They eventually ma
Liam sensed a challenging undertone in Lana's stare. After all this time, had they truly become adversaries?Releasing Lana abruptly, Violet gently patted her arm, her eyes filled with profound hurt."You're here, alive and well. Why did you leave us in the shadows? Even if you chose not to contact anyone else, you should've considered reaching out to me. Do you have any idea how much I missed you?"Over the years, Violet had been grappling with a deep sense of loss.Though it remained an unspoken sentiment among them, Violet was aware of the underlying blame directed toward Liam for what was believed to be Lana's demise.Had Liam been more emotionally available, their relationship wouldn't have crumbled. It would've stopped Lana from seeking refuge overseas while carrying their child, an act that set the stage for her heartbreaking destiny.Witnessing Liam's anguish and believing Lana to be lost forever had taken a severe toll on Violet's health, aging her considerably."Gr
Liam guided Leo to Lana's room.As they entered, Lana was already awake, bathed in the serene morning light streaming through the window.Upon hearing their arrival, Lana, while brushing her hair, shifted her gaze toward them—a familiar scene echoing times gone by."Good morning, Liam and Leo!" she greeted them effortlessly.Without hesitation, Leonardo squirmed out of Liam's embrace and darted toward Lana, exclaiming, "Hi, Nana!"Lana paused, momentarily surprised by Leonardo's nickname. "Leo, you should be calling me 'Mommy'!" she gently corrected him.Leonardo hesitated momentarily before redirecting his attention to Liam.Even though Liam hadn't exchanged a single word with Lana, he spoke up when Leo glanced his way, firmly stating, "Feel free to do as you wish. There's no need to seek my approval. Alright?"Leonardo nodded obediently and turned his gaze back to Lana, continuing to address her as "Nana."While Lana appeared somewhat displeased by this unexpected turn of ev