Chef Novels & Stories

To fulfill the Bet-on Agreement, I pretended to be a nobody and interned at my husband Evan Grant’s company for a week. On my first day at work, I ran into a woman waving a Marriage Certificate around at the front desk like she owned the place. “Do you even know what a marriage certificate means? It means I’m the only one for Mr. Grant! “Why are you standing so lazily? Is your spine weak, or do you just not see me? Lower your head! Keep it down until Mr. Grant arrives! “Is the cafeteria food terrible? I’ll have the Michelin chef spice it up for you!” I was about to step forward when a colleague grabbed my arm. “She’s Mr. Grant’s First Love,” they whispered. “I heard he proposed a hundred times before she finally said yes…” The colleague nodded toward the certificate and warned me kindly: “The worst that happens if you offend Mr. Grant is you might get fired. But offend Mrs. Grant… and you’ll vanish completely.” I nearly laughed out loud. I pulled out my phone and called my brother. “Lucas, get Evan here. Bring the divorce papers too. I want to see him on his knees begging me within five minutes.”

​Aria Montgomery thought she was escaping the city to raise her eleven-month-old nephew in peace. She traded her chef’s apron for an abandoned, dusty bakery on the edge of Thornwood Peaks, desperate to hide from her devastating grief. ​She didn’t know the mountain town belonged to a pack of shifters. And she definitely didn’t know she had just set up her home directly inside the Alpha’s territory. ​Kaelen Thorne is forty-one, lethal, and strictly controlled. He hasn't wanted a mate in decades. But the moment Aria drives into his town smelling of vanilla, woodsmoke, and an ancient, dormant power, his wolf demands only one thing: Claim her. ​Kaelen tries to keep his distance, terrified his dark nature and the twelve-year age gap will scare her away. But when little Milo fearlessly claims the terrifying Alpha as his own, Kaelen’s legendary iron control begins to snap. ​Aria believes she is just a human. She believes her sister's death was a tragic accident. But as a dormant Luna bloodline awakens in her veins, and a ruthless rival pack closes in, the truth threatens to shatter everything. To keep his fated mate and his new family safe, Kaelen must go to war. But to win Aria's heart, the ruthless Alpha will have to do something much harder: fall to his knees and let her choose him.

Right after finishing a meeting, I opened a forum and saw a warning post. The location tag was our company. The title read: “Red flag! What a cheap company. Anyone who joins is a total sucker. They can’t even afford a decent coffee break.” The photo attached showed the expensive coffee and five-star desserts I had just asked my assistant to distribute to everyone. I frowned and tagged the entire group chat, asking if anyone had suggestions about the afternoon tea. A Gen-Z intern who had just joined, Julian Hayes, instantly replied with a voice message: “Boss, no offense, but these assembly-line desserts are full of trans fats. Nobody would eat them.” “A truly humane company hires a Michelin chef to cook and slice everything fresh on site. That’s what real respect for employees looks like.” I laughed in disbelief. Our company’s daily coffee break budget was thirty dollars per person—already considered top-tier in the industry. So I replied, “Since it’s impossible to satisfy everyone’s taste, we’ll cancel afternoon tea from now on and convert the budget into cash for everyone instead.” Less than five minutes later, that post was updated: “Guys, can you believe this? I made a perfectly reasonable suggestion and the lame boss immediately canceled the whole coffee break perk! This is the true face of corporate greed—can’t handle even a little bit of honesty!”

I’d just left a creative meeting when a TikTok video popped up on my feed, slamming my company. The title: "Stay Away! This Austin startup is incredibly cheap. The perks are a joke." The video showed off the pour-over coffee from Austin's hottest independent cafe and pastries from a top-tier French bakery. The same ones I’d just had my assistant, Sam, hand out. I frowned. In the company's Slack channel, I tagged everyone. "@here Any suggestions for this afternoon's Happy Hour?" Leo, the new Gen-Z intern, replied instantly with a voice note. “Asher, with all due respect, these snacks with gluten and dairy are so unhealthy.” “A truly visionary company would hire a private chef to customize raw, vegan bites for everyone's dietary needs. That's what respect looks like.” I laughed. It was an angry laugh. The company's daily snack budget was $25 per person. For an Austin startup, that was top of the line. I typed back: "Since it's impossible to please everyone, the snack perk is canceled. I'll convert the budget into a cash bonus for all of you." Less than five minutes later, the TikTok caption was updated. "UPDATE: Y'all, I can't make this up. I made a suggestion about dietary inclusivity, and my toxic boss just canceled all the perks! This is how toxic bosses act. Can't handle a single piece of feedback!"

"That's where you will stay till we get married." Xander began to explain, "You will have your chef and all." "I don't have a job." She began to speak, "And I didnt get an education-" "Shh." Xander grinned, placing his finger against her lips, "You do not have to worry about all that. You are mine. You are mine to take care of and you will never have to worry about anything in your life again, my love." ****** Lunaria’s life is upended when the charismatic and determined Xander Ashton barges into her world, claiming her as his wife instead of her glamorous sister, Sylvana St. Clair. In an instant, Lunaria becomes Madam Ashton. As Lunaria settles into her new life, she is caught between the man she fell for—charming, passionate, and protective—and the growing distance between them. Xander’s mother and sister make it clear they don’t accept her, and Xander himself seems to be changing in ways that confuse her. Still, Lunaria can’t shake the love she feels for him and the belief that deep down, he might be the man she needs. But when a mysterious new figure enters the scene, showering her with attention and love, Lunaria faces an impossible choice. Will Xander find his way back to her, or is the love she deserves waiting in the arms of someone else?

"Call me only as Sir, or I will spank you hard." He continues, moving his lips down to my neck. The heat from his touch is like an inferno that builds inside me. One night of surrender. Only names. No promises. No restraint. She gives herself to a stranger who knows exactly how to take control; commanding, intoxicating, unforgettable. Until she’s summoned to the CEO’s office. The man waiting for her is the billionaire founder of More, a global meal-kit empire. A visionary chef with a flawless public image, a ruthless business mind… and the same commanding presence that once had her kneeling to his rules. He’s her boss. And he remembers everything. As the company’s marketing manager, she should keep her distance. But his authority extends far beyond the boardroom, and every order, every glance, every quiet moment behind closed doors reminds her how easily she gave him her control. Because beneath the tailored suits and culinary fame is a man who thrives on dominance and a dirty secret that could destroy his empire if exposed. She should walk away. Instead, she’s tempted to submit again. And this time, the cost of giving in could be far more than her heart. A dark, seductive billionaire workplace romance filled with power, control, forbidden desire, and secrets that taste far too good to resist

They say birds of a feather flock together… but no one expects them to fall in love with the same man. As a lonely child trapped by his family’s expectations, Adrian Lewis found comfort in Natalie, an orphan who treated him like an ordinary boy. Before they were separated, he promised to return and marry her. Years later, Adrian is a cold businessman who believes love is an illusion. He agrees to an arranged marriage with Maria Daves to strengthen both families’ businesses. But Maria, heartbroken by another man, has no intention of becoming his wife. Discovering she has an identical twin sister, Natalie, who was raised in an orphanage, Maria secretly arranges for Natalie to work at the wedding as a chef before disappearing on the wedding day. Mistaken for the missing bride in the chaos, Natalie is rushed through the ceremony before anyone realizes the truth. She is legally married to Adrian. Determined to reveal the mistake, Natalie hesitates after experiencing a life of security and opportunity she never imagined. She chooses to continue living as Maria. As Adrian grows closer to his “wife,” he begins recognizing the warmth, kindness, and artistic spirit of the orphan girl he never forgot. Without realizing it, he falls in love with Natalie all over again. Then Maria returns, consumed by jealousy. To reclaim the life she rejected, she pretends to be Natalie, the childhood love Adrian has spent years searching for. When the truth unravels, Adrian discovers the woman he married was never Maria. She was Natalie, the girl he promised to return for, and the woman he unknowingly fell in love with twice.

When I married mafia don Paul Garcia, I was twenty-two, and he was thirty-two. By day, he was the cold, dangerous king of the underworld. By night, he was my daddy. Everyone in New Haven knew how much he loved me. I casually mentioned I disliked the ballerina competing with me for the principal role. The next day, she “accidentally” broke her leg and never returned to the stage. One night, I craved pasta from a specific restaurant. Without a word, he led his men into the kitchen, pressed a gun to the chef’s head, and forced him to recreate the dish overnight. I once joked about wanting to sleep among the clouds. He turned around, had the building of a rival family blown up, then bought the tallest one in the city and engraved my name on the top floor. However, in bed, he would exhaust me completely and refuse to let me go. Even when the doctor warned that I was in early pregnancy and needed restraint, he ignored my cries, tied my wrists with his tie, and went on until dawn. The next day, I started bleeding. I called him ninety-nine times, yet he rejected every single call. In my panic, I suddenly received a video from my best friend. “Emily, your don is pinning a woman down and kissing her at the bar of the Four Seasons in Moscovia.” When I opened the video, my heart stopped. The man was Paul, and the woman was my aunt. In that case, I’ll give him two gifts when he comes back: an abortion report and a divorce agreement.

"Hey, new girl! Stop hovering like a shadow and grab a seat. You look like you haven’t eaten in days," the head chef called out, her voice sharp but oddly welcoming. I froze. I knew her. She was the type who ignored me—neither cruel nor kind, just indifferent. It was better than the others who thrived on my misery. But this… this unexpected invitation caught me off guard. “Thomas, move over!” she snapped. “The girl looks like she’s been dragged through hell. Let her sit.” I cautiously stepped forward, unsure of this newfound warmth. “She doesn’t talk much, huh? Let me tell you something, sweetheart,” Henry chimed in, his voice dripping with mockery. “There’s no room for shy here. Speak up or get swallowed whole. Now, what’s your name?” “Aurora,” I said smoothly, burying the girl I used to be beneath the lie. --- Amelia was the pack’s favorite target—a punching bag for their frustrations and a scapegoat for their failures. But the cruelest betrayal came on her eighteenth birthday when the Alpha—her mate—rejected her in front of the pack. Mocked, humiliated, and abandoned, Amelia reached her breaking point. She vanished without a trace. Years later, she’s back, but not as the broken girl they remember. She’s Aurora now—sharp, fearless, and burning with a thirst for vengeance. She’s trained, planned, and uncovered the dark truths that fueled their hatred. And now, she’s ready to make them pay.

Nairobi-based talented pastry chef Amina Mwangi leads a carefully structured, quiet life where she takes comfort in routine and warmth at her small bakery. She is secluded and harbors an inner yearning for something beyond her own existence, as evidenced by the anonymous letters she exchanges with a mysterious man who seems to have heightened empathy for her. Upon hearing from her pen pal Ethan that he's in Nairobi and wants to meet him, Amina is suddenly drawn into heightened emotions of love, intrigue, and uncertainty. She learns that she has no safe world yet. Her unwavering best friend Daniel, who has always been her confidant, begins to feel uneasy as she lays eyes on the man behind the words. Daniel takes care of Amina and is protective, while still loving her with a whispered sense of danger. Amina's proximity to Ethan leads her to uncover that their relationship is not based on shared words, but rather on hidden secrets. Her life is changing as she goes deeper into the past and her trust starts to fall apart. Ethan maintains that the truth could alter everything if it was revealed too soon, while Daniel forces her to leave, believing that Ethyl is only going to cause harm. A tragic turn of events. The delicate tension between the assurance of a love she has always harbored and the fragility of her faith, coupled with risk and loyalty, is challenging for Amina. When emotions become tumultuous and secrets are revealed, one question becomes unresolvable: If the person who possesses the most knowledge about her is also the one with the least understanding, what would occur?