Emily, a stunning 22 year old, was raised by her mother. She returned home from college for the summer, with plans to spend the holiday with her mom, an esteemed private chef in Los Angeles. But when her mother falls too ill to fulfill a high-profile summer job, She is forced to take her place. She never expected her summer to involve working for Liam Black,the city's most sought after bachelor. Will they blur the lines or keep things strictly professional? One summer job, everything changes…..
View MoreI was getting ready to resume my new summer job today. Technically, It wasn’t mine to begin with. My mom was the one who signed the six-week contract. I was just standing in for her.
I had come home to spend my last college summer with her. Senior year was just around the corner, and honestly, I couldn’t wait to get that degree in culinary arts.
My love for cooking, I inherited from my mom. A renowned chef in Los Angeles.
My father, God rest his soul, died when I was just four. Since then it’s been my mom and I. She’s all I got. So, when I returned home and found her looking pale. I knew there was no way I was letting her take on a job, no matter the personality involved.
She did try her best to persuade me otherwise.
“I have already signed the contract” she said
But I stood my ground. Her health was more crucial than anything. No way she is working in this condition. You should see her. She looked unwell.
“It is the Black family Emily. You know how powerful they are. Just let me do it. I’ll rest after this job, i promise”
She had pleaded with me. No matter how heartfelt her plea, I won’t budge. I offered to do the job myself instead. I grew up in the kitchens, assisting her through events. This won't be difficult for me to handle.
She needs to rest. So, I sent her to Houston to recover at my aunt’s place. Far away from the temptation of taking up a new job. I may or may not have threatened to never come home again if she refused.
Funny how the roles reversed. I am now parenting her. She left yesterday evening, and the house has been too quiet.
When I was done getting ready, I checked myself in the mirror. Black pants, a white top tucked in neatly, and my long black hair pulled into a ponytail. I looked the part. I nodded to my reflection, grabbed my keys, and headed out.
The address led me to one of those neighborhoods that are reserved only for the rich, powerful and Influential. Wide streets, well manicured lawns. Everything screams money. I am not surprised, it is the Black family. They dominate the business world. Real estate, IT, Hospitality. You named it. Their surname opens doors in this city.
I was granted access after I displayed my gate pass, drove along a breathtaking driveway leading to the main entrance.
Holy moly
A gigantic building was standing in front. I muttered under my breath, “This money we’re working for, some people really have too much of it.”
I parked, took a breath, and stepped out.
The number of cars in the garage is insane. My little car looked painfully out of place.
The landscape is breathtaking. A large well-maintained lawn. A fountain at the center. An elaborate garden. I walked to the front door and rang the bell. A man in his early fifties opened the door.
“Hello, I am Emily, the new Chef.” I said.
He nodded,“Okay, come on in. Mr Liam will be down shortly. Wait in the kitchen” I followed him through a foyer that belonged in the palace.
This place is huge. Larger than a typical home. A grand foyer with high ceilings welcomes you. A sophisticated living room,refined furnishing and attention to details in every aspect of the design. Every detail in this house contributes to the overall sense of luxury.
When we reached the kitchen, he left.
Wow
This kitchen is P*******t worthy. High end appliances. Ample counter space and a spacious island. Gosh! I am in love.
I was still admiring the space when a voice broke the silence.
“Well, who do we have here?”
I turned around, clutching my chest. “Oh my God, you startled me!”
There he stood. The famous Jason Black. The award winning singer. Dressed so casual in a gray tracksuit, looking like a walking billboard. Short brown hair, kind brown eyes that compliment it. With a captivating smile.
“You look even better in real life,” I blurted, then immediately regretted it.
He laughed, loud and genuine. “It feels different when you get a compliment from a beautiful woman.
”I looked down, trying to hide my flushed cheeks.
He walked over to the fridge, grabbed a water bottle, and took a seat at the island. I joined him.
“So,” he asked, “what brings you here?”
“Work. I’m the new chef,” I replied.
He gave me a curious look. “You look young.”
“I’m filling in for my mom. She’s ill. Trust me, I’m qualified. Grew up in kitchens, studying culinary arts. I know my stuff.”
His eyes softened. “I’m sorry to hear that. Is she okay?”
“She’s getting better. Thanks.”
“You’re really chill for a superstar,” I added, smiling. “I’m a fan.”
He chuckled and took a sip from the bottle. “What’s your name?”
“Emily.”
“Well, Emily, you’re cool too.”
I liked him. He is easygoing, fun and humble. Not your typical spoiled celebrity stereotype.
“But you know who’s not so cool?” he asked, raising a brow.
I tilted my head. “Who?”
“My brother. Your new boss. Liam Black. He can be intense. Don’t take everything he says or does personally”
Why did that feel more like a warning than advice?
“Got it,” I said.
We started chatting about music, and I asked about the inspiration behind his song ‘To All the Memories’. He was in the middle of explaining when footsteps echoed in the hallway.
He glanced up. “Speak of the devil.”
I turned.
Dayum!
His is a masterpiece. Liam Black had entered the room. He is quite tall and muscular. Wearing a black three-piece Armani suit that looks like it was designed specifically for him. You could tell he frequented the gym. Chiseled jawline. Brown eyes. Perfectly carved nose. Hair slicked back with just enough curls. He smelled like wood and mint. Sophisticated. Intimidating. Its evident beauty runs in the blood. I understand why he is the most sought after bachelor in this City. The man is a sight for sore eyes.
He didn’t spare us a glance. Just walked straight to the fridge, grabbed a bottle of water, and drank.
“He’s rude,” I whispered to Jason.
Jason stifled a laugh.
“Good morning, dear brother,” Jason said. “Your chef is here.”
Liam finished his water, turned slightly, and nodded once at his brother “Jay.”
Then those eyes fell on me.
He didn’t say a word. Just stared. I couldn’t read his expression. Disapproval? Curiosity? Annoyance?
One thing was clear.
This summer just got a whole lot more complicated...
I didn’t drive home. I couldn’t.Not after what I saw. Not after the way Liam looked at me. The panic in his eyes, the guilt etched in his features, as if realizing too late that I’d just watched him kiss another woman. Or maybe she kissed him. It didn’t matter.The damage was done.I couldn’t go home. Not in this state. Not with my mother waiting there, cheerful and unaware, eager to hear all about the boy who had made her daughter smile again.How was I supposed to tell her that smile had been crushed under the weight of someone else’s lips?So I drove.Nowhere specific. Just let the city fall behind me. I drove passed the palm-lined streets, the overpriced juice bars, the empty beaches glowing under dying sunlight. One hand gripping the wheel and the other clutching the last pieces of myself.Eventually, I pulled into a forgotten corner of the city, a canyon overlook littered with cracked pavement and cigarette butts. I parked the car and sat there, watching dusk bleed into night.
Sleep was a stranger all night. I tossed and turned until my sheets twisted around me like a trap. My mind wouldn’t stop racing. Liam was back. Back in L.A. Back in town. And still, he hadn't reached out to me. Not a call. Not a text. Not even a damn emoji.Where did that leave me? Us? Were we still even a ‘we’?It hadn’t even been a full month since I agreed to be his girlfriend, and here I was, lying awake in a bed that suddenly felt too cold, too big, too filled with doubt. I knew dating Liam Black wouldn't be a fairy tale. I didn’t sign up expecting roses and lullabies. But I hadn’t expected... this. Silence. Confusion. Hurt that tasted like betrayal.I stared at the ceiling, counting the seconds until sunrise, until I could knock some answers out of him face to face. Because I couldn’t do this not-knowing thing anymore. I needed the truth. And if there was nothing left to fight for, I needed to hear that too.When I finally fell asleep, it was morning already. My body gave out be
Days passed. Then more days. And still, nothing.Not a call. Not a message. Not even one of Liam’s usual snarky texts to lighten the mood.After that one angry text he sent the night I had dinner with Kelvin, and my reply that I was just glad he was alive, he vanished. Poof. Like he’d been erased from my life. No follow-up.Just silence.At first, I tried to play it cool. I told myself he was probably busy. He did say he had a lot to fix. That he’d be back as soon as he could. But soon, every sound my phone made had me checking it like a madwoman. Every time it didn’t ring, it rang loud in my chest.I was his girlfriend now. That counted for something, didn’t it?But days bled into each other. My modeling offer kept moving forward–Jay helped me review the paperwork, introduced me to a branding consultant, even gave me a crash course in managing sudden fame. Brands were calling, emails pouring in. People wanted to work with “the girl who caught Liam Black.”Funny. Because “the girl who
Liam left that morning with one last kiss and a promise that tasted too sweet to doubt.I'll call the second I land, he’d said, pulling me into his chest like I was the only thing tethering him to earth.“I hate that I have to leave right now,” he murmured against my hair. “But I need to fix this deal myself. It will only be a few days.”My fingers brushed his collar as I looked up. “You telling me the big boss couldn’t pull a few strings and skip it?”He grinned, kissed me again, longer this time. “Text me everything. What you eat, what you wear, what you miss. Especially what you miss.”“So basically... you want to stalk me through your phone.”“Exactly.”Then he was gone. A blur of cologne, lingering warmth, and an unspoken goodbye. The house–once filled with laughter, inside jokes, and tangled sheets, felt too quiet. Too hollow. Too much like it did before him.But we kept pace.He texted like clockwork. I sent him pictures of my breakfast and outfits he’d once half-undressed me f
The first delivery arrived just after noon.I was still in Liam’s house robe, flipping through TV channels like a bored house cat, when the doorbell rang. The housekeeper handed me a sleek, matte black package with my name etched in silver cursive across the top.Inside the box? A crimson dress–silk, scandalous, sculpted like a second skin. My breath hitched as I lifted it from the folds. It was unapologetically sensual, unmistakably expensive. Liam Black didn’t just pick a dress. He commissioned temptation itself.Tucked inside was a single note:“Dinner. 8 PM. Wear this.”I shook my head, already smiling like a fool. I should’ve known he wasn’t done making statements.Then came the second delivery.This time, a bouquet of red roses so deep in color they looked almost black under the light. The scent was intoxicating, wild. My phone buzzed just as I pressed the petals to my nose.Liam: Hope you’re not making other plans, sweetheart. I’ll be claiming all of your evening.I laughed, bi
Jay and I ended up at a sleek rooftop restaurant, velvet-lined booths, soft jazz threading through the air, and a view of the skyline framed like a painting.The kind of place where celebrities could breathe, eat medium-rare steak, and not worry about paparazzi lurking behind wine glasses. Jay said I needed this. A real meal. A moment to feel normal again. And maybe, he was right.Lunch started off light. We talked about music, travel, a dream he had where he accidentally officiated a wedding between two cats. He made me laugh, the kind of laugh that started in your chest and shook loose all the tension you didn’t realize you were carrying."You good?" Jay asked, swirling the straw in his mocktail. "Like actually good?"I nodded. "I think so. Just... adjusting.""Yeah," he said. "You didn’t exactly sign up for all this. But welcome to the circus."My phone buzzed on the table. I reached for it absentmindedly, expecting another meme from Sophia or Liam sending a naughty text. But inste
Welcome to GoodNovel world of fiction. If you like this novel, or you are an idealist hoping to explore a perfect world, and also want to become an original novel author online to increase income, you can join our family to read or create various types of books, such as romance novel, epic reading, werewolf novel, fantasy novel, history novel and so on. If you are a reader, high quality novels can be selected here. If you are an author, you can obtain more inspiration from others to create more brilliant works, what's more, your works on our platform will catch more attention and win more admiration from readers.
Comments