CHAPTER 25: Fiancé??

Roseline's POV…

The list of the top chefs who would be participating in the cookathon was finally out.

The big white paper hung on the wall of the kitchen, chefs gathered round checking to see the chosen ones who would be lucky enough to participate in this year's cookathon.

I stared at my name, printed in black ink on the board, I was number two on the list.

The top person was Fernando Rease.

He won chef of the year at face of the kitchen last year, he is also one of the best chefs I know.

The other participants on the list were also well known chefs.

And I was lucky to have my name sitting at number two of the list.

Which meant I was ranked among the greatest.

I was literally just a girl that loved cooking.

Some of the chefs at the restaurant assumed I was added  to the list because apparently I was dating the head chef.

I almost laughed when I heard that.

“The fact that you are here means you were chosen to represent this restaurant because of your amazing talent so take this seriously” Mr Teddy, the Instructor said to the six chefs.

“I need you all to improve your skills, you're good but improve your skills so you will be able to win the cookathon.

The cookathon is supposed to be just for fun but it's also a competition and we strive to win this year's cookathon.

So please for the next few days we have to devote our time to the training”

He finished his speech and began showing us some special ingredients we could use.

After that each chef prepared their signature dish for him to taste.

Mine was native stew, my father's favourite.

“This is exquisite Miss Moore, I love it,”he said after tasting a spoonful of my stew.

I smiled in satisfaction.

Soon after the cooking class was done, I began to pack up my things when Florian walked in.

“Hey babe,”he waved.

We are still doing this Huh?

He planted a kiss on my forehead, I gulped down nothing.

The kiss was sudden and it sent shivers down my spine.

I tried my best to keep my cool.

We had to play the happy couple in public so our wedding would look realistic.

The plan was to separate work life from personal life but Florian ruined that the day he announced me as his girlfriend.

“Do you have plans after work?” I asked

“No, I don't think so,”he said.

“Okay, I was planning on going to see my father and I felt you should come along with me”

He stared at me for a while.

“Really?”he asked.

I might have been imagining it, but I could have sworn I saw a flash of raw fear in his eyes. He looked completely on edge, like a spring coiled too tight.

“You don't have to worry, I'm sure it's going to go well"I  said

He just nodded.

The rest of the day drifted by really fast and soon we were both dressed up ready to go meet my father.

Florian had on a white tuxedo and I just wore a normal dress.

It was my father, he'd seen me in way worse so there wasn't much that could impress him.

The drive to the Moore estate was long and quiet.

Once we arrived at the estate the flashing street lights glowed brightly.

The different houses sat there like little buildings in a building block collection except they weren't little. They were far from little.

The golden gates, the diamond ornament on the street lights glowed brightly too.

To think I grew up surrounded by all that, while most people prayed for a place to stay and food to eat.

While growing up my parents always reminded me that I was lucky but there were some that never got to experience such luck so I should always try to be kind to others.

But I never took that advice, in high school and college I always acted like I had it all and never cared to help anyone else.

I think that also led to my lavish and careless lifestyle.

But slowly I was learning that there's more to the world than just parties, sex and living in a fancy house.

I turned to Florian, who was staring out the window. For someone who claimed to be just an ordinary, average-income guy, he didn't look the least bit dazzled, in fact, he looked entirely unimpressed.

The car came to a halt in front of the big Moore mansion.

The large mansion gates were just as I remembered them.

Nothing changed a bit, I could still see little me running around the front porch with my little kite while the attendants ran after me begging me to stop.

Coming home after a long time I could still feel my mother's presence.

I smiled sadly.

Florian and I stepped out of the car and headed straight for the front door. Before I could even knock, a middle-aged man opened it, and I immediately pulled him into a tight, fierce hug.

“Mr Williams!!”I screamed in excitement.

“Don't squeeze me to death, little bug,”he said before squeezing himself out of the hug.

Mr Williams has been with the family since he was a young boy, he was literally part of the family and he loved calling me little bug.

He directed us inside, where nothing had changed; the massive gold chandelier still hung from the ceiling. The mansion retained its medieval palace aesthetic, a design I remembered was entirely my mother’s idea.

“Mr Moore is upstairs, come this way” Mr Williams said.

We both followed him upstairs.

I burst into the room like a child, throwing my arms around my father and holding him so tightly I refused to let go. It hadn't actually been that long since we last saw each other, but it felt like decades, perhaps because the quiet, looming knowledge that our time together would soon come to an end.

A polite throat-clear from Florian cut through the silence.

I pulled back, the spell breaking.

"Oh…Dad, this is my fiancé, Florian."

My father’s eyes widened in sheer disbelief. Even Mr. Williams, still lingering in the doorway, froze.

"Did you just say... fiancé?”