CHAPTER 31: The confession.

Roseline's POV

I walked away, the weight of what I’d just heard was heavy on my mind. Across the room, I spotted Florian at the punch table, laughing at something one of the chefs had said. He was entirely unaware of the thoughts crashing through my mind. Watching him, I couldn't help but wonder what exactly was going on. There was something he wasn't telling me, a hidden truth tucked away.

I could feel it, sitting there quietly beneath his smile like a shadow he was trying hard to keep hidden.

But before I could dwell on it too long, someone grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the middle of the kitchen.

"Come on, Roseline, you can't just stand there all night!" one of the junior chefs, Amara, said, already dragging me into the small crowd that had gathered.

Someone had found an old karaoke speaker tucked away in the storage room, and before I knew it, half the kitchen staff were taking turns belting out songs, most of them horribly off key, all of them having the time of their lives.

"Sing something!" Gabriel shouted, shoving the microphone into my hands with a childish smirk playing at the corner of his lips.

That was the happiest I had ever seen him, every time I saw him he always looked serious or acted like he wasn't the type to be caught playing around.

I guessed it was because of his position as director.

"Absolutely not," I said, laughing, trying to push it back toward him.

"Come on, don't be shy!" Florian's voice came from behind me, and when I turned, he had that teasing glint in his eyes that always managed to talk me into things I swore I wouldn't do.

In the end, I sang, badly, off tune, forgetting half the lyrics halfway through, but everyone cheered anyway, and for a moment all my worries melted into the noise and laughter filling the room.

Later, someone brought out the trophy we'd won at the cook-a-thon, the small silver plaque gleaming under the kitchen lights. Florian grabbed it and held it high above his head, and soon the two of us were jumping around with it between us like we'd won first place instead of second, the rest of the staff cheering us on.

"Second place champions!" Gabriel shouted, raising his cup in mock salute.

"Technically that's not a real title," Florian said, laughing.

"It is tonight," Gabriel shot back, and everyone laughed along.

In the middle of all the celebration, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out, expecting a message from my father, but instead it was from a number I didn't immediately recognize.

Hello Roseline, this is Judge Marchetti from the cook-a-thon. I'd love to set up a meeting with you sometime this week if you're available. Let me know.

My heart skipped. I remembered her, the judge who had pulled me aside after the competition and taken my number, though at the time I hadn't thought much of it.

I quickly typed back a reply, trying to sound professional despite the excitement bubbling in my chest, and the second I hit send I pulled up her name to search it, curious.

What I found nearly made me drop my phone. She wasn't just any judge, she worked closely with one of the most well known cooking shows in the country, her name attached to several major culinary events over the years.

"What's got you smiling like that?" Florian asked, appearing beside me.

"Nothing," I said quickly, slipping my phone back into my pocket, deciding to save the news for later. "Just tired, I think."

The party wound down not long after, and we said our goodbyes to the rest of the staff, Gabriel tagging along with us as we headed home.

The car ride was quiet, but I kept glancing over at Florian from the corner of my eye, my mind replaying the conversation I'd overheard earlier. I wanted to ask him, but something told me now wasn't the time.

When we got home, Gabriel turned to Florian. 

"Hey, can I talk to you for a bit? Alone?"

Florian nodded, then looked at me. 

"Go on up, sweetheart, I'll meet you inside soon."

I forced a smile and turned to walk away, but the second I was out of sight, I moved back quietly, pressing myself against the wall near the corner of the hallway where I could still hear them.

"The CEO keeps saying the same thing over and over," Gabriel was saying,with a low voice. "He's not going to let this go, Florian."

There was a pause. "Maybe I don't have a choice," Florian said quietly.

My hand flew to my mouth. Was he really considering quitting?

I stepped out from the corner before I could stop myself.

"Please, why do you have to quit? I don't understand why the CEO—" I started, my voice cutting through the hallway.

Both of them turned toward me, clearly shocked.

"I thought I told you to go upstairs," Florian said, his voice tight.

"What aren't you telling me, Florian?" I asked, ignoring his words completely, stepping closer.

He looked down at the floor, sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. 

"There are things I'm not telling you, not because I want to keep them from you, but because I don't think you'll understand."

"Seriously? Tell me," I said, my voice firmer now.

Silence stretched between us, Gabriel shifting uncomfortably beside him, clearly wishing he could disappear from the hallway entirely.

Finally, Florian looked up at me.

"I'm not just any random guy, Roseline."

I blinked, confused. 

"Huh? What do you mean?"

He took a breath, his eyes never leaving mine. 

"I'm the CEO of the company that owns the restaurant. I'm actually Gabriel's boss."

The words hung in the air between us, and for a moment I couldn't even process what I'd just heard.

"What?" I said, my voice barely above a whisper, staring at him like I was seeing him for the very first time.