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chapter 4
Huling Na-update:
2025-01-25 06:31:29I woke up early in the morning, my heart pounding with a mix of excitement and nerves. Today was the big day—the cooking competition that could change my life. I had been preparing for weeks, perfecting my dishes and honing my skills. This was more than just a contest; it was an opportunity to prove myself.
Organized by three prominent hotel industry leaders which is stonehaven hotel and onyx resturants and resort , including the renowned Blackstone Grand Hotel & Resort as powerful and influential as its owner and CEO, Damien Blackstone , the competition was designed to scout talent and give underprivileged aspiring chefs a chance to shine. The ultimate prize? A position at one of Damien Hotel's prestigious kitchens, working under some of the finest chefs in the industry.
Their goal was to scout talents and give opportunities to those who didn’t have the means to break into the culinary world. There was no discrimination—anyone with skill and passion was welcome.
Arriving at the grand venue, I felt my breath hitch. The place was bustling with activity, contestants buzzing with anticipation. The sheer scale of the event was overwhelming, but I clenched my fists and reminded myself why I was here. Determined, I made my way to the front desk, where a young man sat, distributing numbers to the participants.
Name?" he asked without looking up.
"Evelyn hayes," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady.
He handed me a numbered tag and gestured toward the competition hall. "You're at Station 14. Good luck."
I took a deep breath and stepped inside. The kitchen was a spectacle—thirty identical cooking stations, each equipped with high-quality appliances, pristine countertops, and an array of fresh ingredients. The competition was structured into three intense rounds, with eliminations at each stage. According to the rules, contestants would be judged based on creativity, technique, and presentation. Every move we made would be scrutinized by a panel of esteemed judges, ensuring a fair and unbiased process. No favoritism, no special treatment—just pure culinary talent on display.
“Evelyn!” A familiar voice called out. I turned to see Chris approaching me with a warm smile.
“Chris! What are you doing here?” I asked, genuinely surprised.I had met him the previous day while exploring the city, and we had struck up a casual conversation. He had been friendly, helpful, and genuinely curious about my journey, though I hadn’t thought much of it at the time. Now, seeing him here, I realized there was more to him than I had initially assumed
Chris approached me with a knowing smile. "Evelyn, looks like we meet again.
" he said, his eyes dropping to the numbered tab. Surprise was written all over his face. "And it looks like you're here for the competition—if I'm not mistaken, this is the one you mentioned yesterday.
"yes " i replied shifted uncomfortably, a wave of unease washing over me."
Sensing my nervousness, he asked,Ready to take on the competition?"
I smiled, feeling more at ease. "I hope so. It’s a bit overwhelming."
"I get that," he said, his expression softening. "Competitions like this can feel like a battlefield, but trust me, once you get into your element, everything else fades away."
I let out a small laugh. "That sounds nice in theory. Right now, all I feel is my heart trying to beat out of my chest."
Chris chuckled. "That just means you care. And people who care are the ones who put passion into their work. That’s what sets great chefs apart from good ones."
I studied him for a moment, intrigued by his words. There was something about the way he spoke—like he truly understood what it was like to stand in my shoes. "You sound like you’ve been in competitions before.
He hesitated, then shrugged. "I’ve seen my fair share. Let’s just say I know what it takes to make it in this industry."There was something about the way he said it that made me curious, but before I could press further, he glanced around and lowered his voice. "Listen, I know this can be overwhelming, but don’t let the pressure get to you. Focus on what you came here to do. No matter what happens, remember why you started cooking in the first place."
"You’ll do great," he assured me. "Just focus on what you do best. Good luck."
His words settled something inside me, easing the weight of my nerves just a little. I nodded, offering him a grateful smile. "Thanks, Chris. I appreciate that."
He returned my smile. "Anytime. Now, go show them what you’re made of. Good luck, Evelyn."
We exchanged a brief but warm look before parting ways. However, as I walked to my station, I could feel eyes burning into me. The atmosphere around me shifted, the hum of conversation taking on a sharper, more hostile edge. Whispers rippled through the room, laced with bitterness and envy.
"Did you see that?"
"She already knows someone in charge?"
"Typical. Some people will do anything to win."
Confused, I tried to ignore the snide comments, but another contestant, a tall woman with a knowing smirk, leaned in. "You really don’t know who that was, do you?"
I frowned. "Chris?"
The woman chuckled. "Chris is the competition coordinator. One of the top executives working with blackstone hotel& restort plus he is damien right hand man . You must be really lucky to get his attention."
Shock coursed through me. Had I really just unknowingly befriended someone so important? Was that why everyone was looking at me with suspicion? I swallowed hard, pushing the thoughts away,But there was no time to dwell on it. Taking a deep breath, I squared my shoulders and focused on the task ahead. I was here to cook, to prove myself—not to worry about petty rumors.
The announcer’s voice boomed through the hall, signaling the start of the first round. The tension in the air thickened as everyone prepared to showcase their skills. I tightened my grip on my utensils, steadying my breathing. No matter what anyone thought, I was here to compete. It was time to show them what I was made of.
Kaugnay na kabanata
The chef and The charmer chapter 5
pov damienThe scent of expensive perfume clung to my sheets, mixing with the lingering traces of whiskey and something undeniably feminine. Sunlight sliced through the penthouse windows, casting golden streaks across the silk bedding.Beside me, a warm body stirred."Mmm... don’t leave yet," a soft, sleepy voice murmured against my shoulder.I smirked, tilting my head slightly to glance at the woman draped over me. Her red hair spilled over the pillow, a sharp contrast against my crisp white sheets. Legs as long as sin. Green eyes that had been hazy with pleasure the night before. I searched my memory for her name but came up empty. Not that it mattered. Names weren’t important in nights like these.Carefully, I shifted out from under her arm and swung my legs over the side of the bed, rubbing the back of my neck. My head wasn’t pounding, but I could feel the weight of the previous night—cocktails, laughter, pleasure, detachment—all part of a well-rehearsed cycle."Where are you goin
Huling Na-update : 2025-02-19The chef and The charmer chapter 6
evelyn povMy hands trembled as I returned to my station, the pristine knives and fresh ingredients laid out before me suddenly feeling distant, irrelevant. The heat from the overhead lights pressed down, but it was nothing compared to the flush burning across my cheeks.Get it together. I exhaled sharply, wrapping my fingers around the cool steel handle of the chef’s knife. The weight grounded me, dragging me back into the present.But Damian Blackstone’s gaze lingered in my mind like the shadow of smoke—sharp, invasive, impossible to ignore. Just another obstacle. Another judge who had seen hundreds, maybe thousands, of competitors pass through this very station. He was nothing—he should be nothing.So why did his attention feel so heavy?I sliced through a ripe tomato, each cut clean and precise, despite the chaos churning beneath the surface. I shouldn’t care what he thought. I was here to win—not to unravel the enigma behind those dark, knowing eyes.My teeth clenched as I set th
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-01The chef and The charmer chapter 7
The door clicked shut behind me, the faint hum of the city seeping through the cracked window. The distant horns and muffled conversations from the streets below were familiar—white noise that usually soothed me after a long day. But they only seemed to amplify the storm churning beneath my ribs tonight.I carefully set my knives on the counter, the blades catching the dim glow from the kitchen light. My fingers lingered on the worn leather of the roll, tracing each handle like a ritual. The weight of the contest hung heavy in the room, pressing against my chest—one more night until everything was decided.One more night to prove I belonged.The memory of Damian Blackstone’s smirk flickered behind my eyes, sharp and intrusive. I could still hear his voice—smooth, low, laced with that effortless arrogance he wore like a second skin.““We’ll see about that.”I had replayed those words a hundred times on the walk home, each repetition digging deeper beneath my skin. He was testing me. Mea
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-04The chef and The charmer chapter 8
The steady clatter of knives against cutting boards echoed through the competition kitchen, a familiar rhythm that should have settled my nerves. Instead, every sharp tap grated against the edges of my fraying composure. My fingers tightened around the chef’s knife in my hand, its cool weight grounding me as I diced shallots with precision.Focus. Just focus.The rich aroma of butter warming in the pan curled around me—a scent that usually brought me comfort—but today it felt distant, dulled beneath the undercurrent of tension threading through the room. I didn’t need to glance over my shoulder to know eyes were on me. I could feel their weight pressing against my back, sharp whispers slicing through the low hum of the kitchen.“She’s got a direct line to the top, hasn’t she?”“Funny how someone always gets ahead when the head judge takes a liking.”I forced my hands to stay steady, the rhythmic chop of my knife never faltering. My heart hammered hard against my ribs, but I kept my fa
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-05The chef and The charmer chapter 9
The headlines were everywhere.I could feel them crawling under my skin, even when I wasn’t looking at my phone. They lingered in the air, carried by half-hidden smirks and the hushed way people suddenly fell silent when I walked into the room. Damian Blackstone’ Latest Conquest — the phrase had been splashed across every gossip column for the past hours, painting me into the perfect tabloid caricature. Not a chef. Not a finalist. Just the woman who had caught his eye.My stomach knotted as I leaned over the stainless steel counter, trying to steady my breath while my hands chopped onions into perfect, uniform slices. Focus. Keep your head down. Let the work drown out the noise.But the whispers never stopped.“So much for getting here by your own hard work.”The comment was thrown carelessly from the far end of the prep station — loud enough to be heard, quiet enough to pretend it wasn’t meant for me. I froze, the knife gripped tight in my fingers. My gaze flicked up just in time to
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-06The chef and The charmer chapter 10
After the whole fiasco that happen at kitchen station i know exactly where to find Damien. He’s sprawled in one of the leather chairs near the panel of judges, legs stretched out, looking like he owns the place. The dim light casts shadows across the sharp planes of his face, but the low murmur of his voice carries. Chris sits across from him, nodding along, though his eyes flick to me the second I enter. He senses it—the storm brewing beneath my skin.I hover near the doorway, ears pricked as Damian’s lazy drawl filters through the room.“Had to take care of something… or someone.” The smirk in his voice is unmistakable. “Night ran a little longer than expected.”My blood boils, hot and immediate. Another night, another meaningless conquest—like the whole world is a game he’s already figured out how to win.I step forward without thinking, pushing the door cutting through their conversation. Chris’s gaze darts between us, reading the tension in a heartbeat. He clears his throat and r
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-07The chef and The charmer chapter 11
I returned to my station just in time for the competition to officially begin. The tension from the confrontation with Damian still lingered under my skin, but I pushed it aside, locking it away where it couldn’t distract me. I had bigger things to focus on.The competition floor buzzed with nervous energy—chefs chopping, flames flickering, the rhythmic clatter of knives against cutting boards. This was my element. Here, I could drown out the world and lose myself in the precision of my craft.I kept my head down, meticulously slicing herbs, measuring ingredients, keeping every movement controlled and methodical. If I focused hard enough, I could almost convince myself that the weight pressing on my chest was just the pressure of the contest—not the ghost of Damian’s voice still rattling around in my head.By the time I plated my first dish and sent it off to the judges, the knot in my stomach had started to ease. I could breathe again. This—this was where I belonged. Not locked in so
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-08The chef and The charmer chapter 12
I barely had time to catch my breath when Chris found me in the hallway. My heart still drummed in my chest, the weight of disappointment heavier than the ache in my limbs. The sting of placing tired gnawed at me, a reminder that no matter how hard I pushed, it hadn’t been enough — not today.“Hey,” Chris’s voice cut through the noise in my head. His smile was cautious, like he wasn’t sure if it was the right moment. “You did great out there.”I forced a small smile, though it felt thin on my lips. “Thanks.”Chris stepped closer, his hands tucked in his jacket pockets. He shifted his weight from foot to foot,he seem to quite nervous. I figured the cameras weren’t around this time, so whatever he wanted to say must’ve been real.“Look… I wanted to apologize,” he started, his gaze flicking away before meeting mine again. “For the media mess… for how everything played out. You didn’t deserve that.”I blinked, caught off guard. I hadn’t realized how badly I needed to hear those words unti
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-08
Pinakabagong kabanata
The chef and The charmer chapter 39
The city was finally beginning to feel like home. It was strange how familiarity crept in—slowly at first, then all at once. The streets that once seemed too loud, too crowded, too impersonal, now carried a sense of routine. The bakery on the corner who bakes my favorite kind of cake and bread. The barista at my favorite cafe smiled at me like we shared an inside joke every time i get out of the penthouse and last but not the least the corner store where Damien buys me ice cream when we go out for a walk, it has starts to look like a routine for the both of us . The loneliness that once pressed against my ribs was easing, even if it wasn’t completely gone. But even in the midst of my quiet victories, there were moments when the past clawed its way back in, uninvited and unrelenting.Eric and Emma. Their names had lost the sting they once carried, but every now and then, a memory would resurface, raw and vivid. Betrayal had a way of branding itself into a person’s bones, and no amount
The chef and The charmer chapter 38
After my walk with Damian last night, something in me shifted. Lighter. Freer. As if the weight of pretending, of balancing the tightrope between what was real and what wasn’t, had finally eased just enough for me to breathe.For the first time since stepping into his world, I felt ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.That morning, as I moved around the penthouse kitchen, my phone buzzed with an email notification. I wiped my hands on a kitchen towel before picking it up, expecting another mundane message. But as soon as I saw the sender’s name, my breath hitched.From: Chef Alain DufortSubject: Private Catering RequestDear Miss Evelyn,I hope this email finds you well. I had the pleasure of watching you few months back at Cooking Contest, and your passion for food was truly inspiring. I am hosting a private birthday dinner for my daughter this Saturday and would love for you to handle the catering. It will be an intimate gathering of about twenty guests, and I trust your e
The chef and The charmer chapter 37
Evelyn POVDamian’s world is nothing like mine.I realize this the first moment I step into the kitchen—our kitchen, technically, since I live here now. A penthouse too grand, too extravagant for someone like me. Stainless steel appliances gleam under warm, recessed lighting. A marble island stretches across the center, as if it were made for casual morning coffee and whispered confessions. Every tool, every spice jar, every delicate crystal glass has a place. Everything is intentional. Thoughtful. Perfect.Unlike my life. Unlike me.I tighten my grip on the handle of my knife, grounding myself in the familiarity of the blade’s weight. Cooking has always been my solace, my anchor. No matter how chaotic things get, the act of preparing food—the slicing, the seasoning, the slow transformation of raw ingredients into something nourishing—keeps me steady. It keeps my heart from drifting toward dangerous waters.Because that’s what this is. Dangerous.I exhale slowly, pushing aside the uns
The chef and The charmer chapter 36
Damian’s POV – The morning light streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of my office, casting long shadows across the sleek, polished desk. I leaned back in my leather chair, the unopened letter resting on the surface in front of me like a loaded gun. I had barely slept. My mother’s words had carved their way into my mind, stirring memories I preferred buried.A sharp knock interrupted my thoughts.“Come in,” I called, straightening as Chris walked in.He looked like he had just downed a gallon of coffee—sharp suit, tired eyes. “What was so urgent that you dragged me in this early?” He dropped into the chair across from me, one brow raised. “Don’t tell me it’s about last night. You and Evelyn put on a good show.”I exhaled slowly, reaching for the letter and tossing it onto the desk. “Read it.”Chris picked it up, unfolding the expensive stationery. His expression shifted from mild curiosity to sharp focus as he scanned the words.“Damn,” he muttered under his breath. He lower
The chef and The charmer chapter 35
The next morning, I woke up alone in my room, the distant hum of the city filtering through the penthouse windows. Damian’s presence was nowhere to be felt—not that it ever was. We had separate rooms, separate lives, even if we were bound by this arrangement. Still, a faint trace of his cologne lingered in the air from when he had passed by my door last night. He was long gone. Again.Over the next week, a pattern emerged. Damian left early and returned late, his face drawn with exhaustion. He barely had time to eat, let alone talk. When he did speak, his words were brief, the sharpness of his usual charm dulled by whatever weight he was carrying.One evening, I was curled up on the couch when he finally came home, his tie loose, his sleeves rolled up. He looked exhausted, but still unfairly good. He sighed heavily as he dropped onto the couch beside me.“Long day?” I asked softly, studying him.He rubbed a hand down his face before leaning back against the cushions. “You could say th
The chef and The charmer chapter 34
The grand dining hall of Damian’s mother’s estate was as imposing as the woman herself. Crystal chandeliers cast an almost blinding glow over the long mahogany table, which was set with fine china and polished silverware. I smoothed down my white satin dress, feigning composure while internally bracing myself for the battle ahead.Damian’s mother sat at the head of the table, a perfect picture of cold elegance. Her eyes flickered to me, sharp and assessing, as if she were dissecting my very existence. I forced a polite smile, knowing she could see right through it.“So, Evelyn,” she began, her voice silky but laced with an unmistakable edge. “Tell me, where are you from?”“Cold Spring,” I replied evenly, keeping my tone polite but distant.Her perfectly arched brow lifted slightly. “Cold Spring? And your family? What do they do?”“Just regular civilians,” I said, holding my posture firm. “Nothing extravagant.”She hummed, taking a slow sip of her wine. “Interesting.” Her gaze lingered
The chef and The charmer chapter 33
Evelyn povThe scent of garlic and rosemary filled the kitchen as I stirred the pot, the warm aroma wrapping around me like a familiar embrace. The rhythmic chop of my knife against the cutting board echoed in the quiet space, a soothing sound after a long day of writing recipes and buy groceries.I glanced at the small folded note resting against the spice rack, the one Damien had left for me this morning. Just a simple, lazy scrawl of” heading to work “. Don’t burn the kitchen down while I’m gone. - D.” . A smile tugged at my lips before I shook my head, tucking the note into the pages of my recipe book.The front door creaked open, followed by the sound of keys dropping onto the console table. Heavy footsteps. A sigh.Damien.I kept my focus on the cutting board, but my ears picked up every small movement—the rustle of fabric as he loosened his tie, the low exhale of exhaustion. The air in the room shifted slightly, like it always did when he entered.“What’s for dinner?” His voice
The chef and The charmer chapter 32
Damien povI slipped into my car, the engine rumbling to life as I pulled out onto the main-slicked road. The meeting with the board of directors had ended over an hour ago, but their words still echoed in my head. The weight of the discussions pressed against my mind, but it wasn’t what made my chest tighten. That honor belonged to my mother. Her call had been cold and clipped, each syllable sharp as glass. She was back from France — when the hell had that happened? Of course, she didn’t bother to tell me. She never does. Everything with her is calculated. Controlled. Just like that house. Cold. Silent. Full of secrets.The drive to the family mansion stretched longer than I remembered. It stood like a ghost against the darkened sky, perched on its remote estate where the elite of New York hid behind their wealth. As the wrought iron gates creaked open tall and imposing, my tires crunched over the gravel driveway. I hadn’t set foot here since my father’s funeral.The mansion looms in
The chef and The charmer chapter 31
Damien povThe first rays of dawn barely painted the sky when my eyes snapped open. The penthouse was silent, save for the faint hum of the city below. For the first time in a long while, the weight of responsibility tugged me out of bed. After a year of avoiding everything, I was finally going back to work.The cold water hit my face like a slap, jolting me fully awake. I stared at my reflection, watching droplets slide down my face, catching on the faint scar on my temple — a souvenir from the accident. I barely recognized myself. Shaving, dressing, each motion felt mechanical. The tailored suit clung to my frame, the crispness of the fabric unfamiliar after months of living in loungewear. Still, the weight of it settled something in me. Damien Blackstone was back.As I sipped my coffee, I pulled out my phone and dialed Chris.“Well, well, look who finally remembered how to use a phone,” Chris teased.I smirked. “Don’t start. I need backup today. You in?”Chris sighed. “You sure you
