The termination had been quiet and absolute. The previous male chef had made the mistake of discussing household routines with a supplier in language that reached Kai’s security detail. By the following morning his access codes were revoked, his final payment deposited, and a discreet nondisclosure reminder delivered. The kitchen, a vast expanse of marble, steel, and natural light on the lower level of the penthouse, stood empty for less than forty-eight hours before the interviews began.Kai had narrowed the field himself. The final candidate arrived at eleven sharp: Raphaël, thirty, from Lyon, tall enough that he had to dip his head slightly when passing under the arched doorway into the formal tasting room. His hair was dark and neatly cropped, his sky-blue eyes steady, a single deep dimple appearing only when he offered the briefest professional smile. Tattoos covered both forearms and climbed one side of his neck; he had attempted to conceal them beneath a crisp white chef’s jack
Last Updated : 2026-08-23 Read more