Chapter 6

When Selena saw Zachary like this, she actually felt a little flustered.

Maybe it was the heat radiating from his body, or maybe it was just that she hadn't seen a man with that kind of raw, physical presence in a long time.

She took a small step back to steady herself, forcing her voice to stay calm and polite. "Good morning, Mr. Foster."

Juliet greeted him, too. "Morning, Mr. Foster."

Zachary glanced at Selena. She wasn't wearing any makeup, but she still looked striking. Her skin was fair and flawless.

She had on a plain T-shirt and tight jeans—simple clothes, but they showed off her mature figure. The innocent outfit somehow gave off an unintentional sensuality, like a forbidden fruit that made people want to reach out and touch.

Zachary's throat moved slightly, but his expression stayed cool and unreadable. He nodded at them politely.

"Morning. Make yourselves at home."

With that, he turned and walked upstairs.

Juliet went off to find Leona, while Selena followed the butler, Leroy Neal, into the kitchen.

Vince Maxwell, the head chef at Isle Haven, was usually the one in charge, but today, he was helping Selena instead.

He didn't mind at all. After all, he worked for Zachary, and Selena was here because Leona had invited her to cook for the gathering. Their roles didn't conflict.

Actually, from the moment he saw Selena, the normally serious chef had turned a bit red around the ears. Clearly, her looks had thrown him off a little, and the only thing he could do was keep his head down and focus on his work.

Upstairs, Juliet had dragged Leona out of bed after a long struggle.

When they finally came downstairs, they ran into Zachary again.

He was wearing a black dress shirt and slacks, no tie, and the top button was undone, revealing his collarbone. The sleeves were rolled up to his forearms, giving him a relaxed, effortless look. His tall frame made him seem even more composed and striking.

Leona blinked. "Uncle Zach, you're not going to work today?"

His voice was cool and even. "It's the weekend."

"Oh… I just figured a workaholic like you didn't take weekends off. Haven't seen you rest before. Guess you're finally realizing your body's not what it used to be, huh?"

Her teasing earned her a sharp, piercing look from Zachary.

Leona immediately shrank back, gave an awkward laugh, and pulled Juliet downstairs with her. As they walked, she muttered under her breath, "I wasn't wrong. He's 40 already. Of course his body's slowing down…"

Juliet thought back to what Zachary looked like earlier when they arrived, sweaty from a morning workout.

"I don't know, he still seems pretty fit. He works out a lot and looks young for his age."

"Who knows?" Leona scoffed. "Maybe it's all for show."

They reached the dining room just as Selena finished preparing breakfast.

"Leona," Selena said with a warm smile, "Juliet told me you like the samosas I make. I brought a few from home, made some sandwiches too, and some mushroom soup. Just something simple for breakfast."

"Wow, Ms. Jones! I love anything you make!"

Leona eagerly dug in, and Juliet joined her.

Zachary soon entered and sat down at his usual spot. His breakfast—a chicken sandwich and milk—was already waiting.

He glanced at Leona's plate. Her food looked much more appetizing, colorful, and fresh.

The mushroom soup was creamy and smooth, beautifully served in a white bowl. The samosas were golden and crisp, with a bit of spiced potato filling peeking through. Even the sandwiches had wavy edges, cut into bite-sized pieces and arranged on a pretty plate with a small cat drawn in ketchup on the side. It was cute and playful.

He must've been staring for too long, because Leona noticed and instinctively shielded her plate with one hand.

"Uncle Zach, what are you looking at?"

He wasn't eyeing her breakfast, was he? She felt that it was impossible.

Zachary's meals had always been the same plain sandwiches and milk. If he wanted something else, he'd have asked the chef to make it long ago.

So, Leona figured he definitely wasn't interested in her food.

Zachary's expression cooled again, and he quickly finished his breakfast.

When he got up to leave, his gaze brushed briefly toward the kitchen. The woman inside was focused on her work, her graceful figure moving quietly. The sight only lasted a second before he turned away, his steps never slowing.

-

Soon after, Leona's friends began arriving at Isle Haven.

Some were older students from the high school division, others were classmates, and a few were from families connected to the Fosters.

It wasn't a huge crowd. They were all kids from well-off families, eating, laughing, and chatting like any normal gathering.

The "art viewing" was just an excuse. The real point was networking. Everyone here belonged to the same upper-circle crowd in Harbor City.

The snacks and tea were all prepared by Selena. She also cooked most of the lunch herself. When things got too busy, she shared her recipes with Vince, and he helped with the rest. It turned into a fun little cooking collaboration between them.

Leona didn't make a big deal out of who made the food; everything just happened naturally.

Still, a few guests couldn't help but comment.

"Leona, your chef's got amazing skills. These dishes are all so creative. Did your Uncle Zach hire someone new?"

Others joined in.

"Yeah, the tea was great! Way better than most places."

"I loved the lunch dishes. I've had them before, but they taste totally new here. It's so refreshing!"

Leona smiled and explained, "She's not our regular chef. I hired a special one just for today. She's really good at creative cooking. Everything she makes looks great and tastes even better. If you ever need a private chef for an event, I can recommend her."

"Wow! With praise like that, we've got to try her food too. Let's meet her. I might need someone for a family event next week."

"Sure thing."

Selena soon walked out of the kitchen. She wore a simple white T-shirt tucked into high-waisted jeans, making her look tall and effortlessly stylish. Her face, flushed from the heat of cooking, glowed softly, and her smile had a calm warmth that filled the room.

As she stepped forward, the tall windows were open, and a light breeze caught the loose strands of hair around her face, making her look even more radiant. The movement drew everyone's attention, breaking the silence that had fallen as they stared.

"Wait… Juliet, isn't that your mom? Why would she be cooking here?"

Some of the students recognized her right away. After all, with looks like hers, she wasn't the kind of woman you forgot after seeing once.