Heir meets the chef
THIRD PERSON
Ding!
The elevator door slowly creaked open. Despite this, the duo didn't seem to care. They truly didn't give a damn. It felt like they hated the world and were determined to do whatever they wanted today. Just like the young master, the butler continued their endless crying session.
Max had even gone so far as to lie on his back and wiggle around like a toddler having a tantrum, convinced that this would somehow win him the dramatic contest. The absurdity of it all was reaching new heights.
Outside the elevator, three of the five people stationed there began to murmur among themselves.
"Rica, I told you to go in first," said the girl in the blue apron, looking both confused and slightly annoyed.
The situation was turning into a spectacle no one had anticipated, and the murmuring outside was growing as the drama unfolded.
The girl in the green apron, Mylene, let out an exasperated sigh. "Communication is key. Tell him to move. They're holding up people's errands," she said, her patience wearing thin. She still had a mountain of work to get through after this distraction.
"Then you say it," Rica shot back, mirroring Mylene's eye roll with equal irritation.
Their heated whispers grew louder, and Max, still sobbing and wiggling on the floor, couldn't help but notice the commotion. As usual, to his eyes, they are just five complete strangers-wearing strange hairnets. Cooks, specifically. A bunch of lowly civilians with no power.
Max, ever the master of his own universe, rolled his eyes and turned his back on them, continuing his over-the-top display of emotional turmoil. As long as he's in control of his melodramatic performance, nothing else matters.
As the elevator doors began to close, one of the cooks wedged his hand between them, causing them to halt. Maximus, still sprawled dramatically on the cold floor, glared up at the suspect. He dismissed anton and observed the guy who had interrupted them. The guy's wearing what he thought was the weirdest hat, possibly a chef's hat. He's the only man among the five cooks. The chef is tall; Michael estimated him to be at least 5 feet 5 inches tall. Shorter than him, a 6-foot-tall, rich, magnificent guy.
His smirk grew as he took in the cook's appearance. Despite the interruption, the man's fierce eyes sparkled like diamonds, and his dark brown hair complemented his adorable face. His slightly muscular frame was exactly Max's type.
Nonetheless, Maximus isn't about to let the interruption slide, even if the guy is exactly his type. He pouted, crossing his arms dramatically and turning his head away as if the very sight of the cook offended him.
Anton, ever the devoted butler, instantly mirrored Max's actions without a second thought. It's like watching a clown performance-Anton perfectly mimicked the heir's pout, crossing his arms and turning away with exaggerated precision, as if they were two synchronized, sulking children.
Zane Josh, chef, visibly annoyed, wasn't amused by the antics. "Hello? Can you stand up and leave? You're holding us up," he said, his voice tight with frustration.
To be fair, the young chef wasn't wrong. He had somewhere important to be-a birthday party for an acquaintance, set to begin in just two hours. And with Max, still lying stubbornly on the ground, was throwing off his entire schedule.
The chef wasn't just any chef. Anyone remotely into food would immediately recognize him as the Zane Josh, a culinary legend revered nationwide and even internationally. How did that happen? Well, when he's 12, he starts practising his cooking skills when he has a chance to. By the time he's 15, he's helping mrs. Lu, in cooking for the kids at the orphan for three years. After that when he turns 19, he started participating in a small cooking contest and then it becomes big and big contest and has been receiving rewards and trophies within the country, because hes practically participating every cooking contest he sees on and off social media and hes been undefeated since then. When he's studying culinary arts on his college days, he's already making money by becoming a private cook on a wealthy household and doing a part-time job at the same time. With the age of 25( his current age), he's practically a living legend and becomes the most preferred chef in the entire country just a few months back.
No one with a brain would ever cross him because who would try to defy a highly respected chef? The little heir didn't need to know that fact; he was already on the bad side of the chef the moment he locked eyes with him.
"We don't wanna. And who are you to order me to leave this elevator, huh?" Max shot back, rolling around on the cold, dirty floor like a cinnamon roll in distress, completely unbothered that his designer's clothes were getting soiled. In his mind, this was all his dad's fault. If he hadn't been forced into this mess, he wouldn't be acting like this in the first place.
Zane, on the other hand, was thoroughly unimpressed. His patience was thinning.
"You look like a spoiled brat having a tantrum," Zane stated bluntly, looking down at Max as if he were something stuck to the bottom of his shoe. "You're mature enough to outgrow this kind of behaviour. What are you, a juvenile?"
That comment struck a nerve. Maximus's playful antics froze in an instant, and his fury bubbled to the surface, spurred by the insult. How dare this lowly commoner talk to him like that is what was on his head at that moment.
He reluctantly sat up, glaring at the group as he brushed the dirt off his clothes. With a deep sigh, he finally stood up, signalling Anton to follow him as they stepped out of the elevator.
The young master approached the group, his tall frame giving him the feeling of towering over them like a smug giant. He smirked inwardly, already enjoying the subtle intimidation.
"Do you have a problem, baby?" He asked, his tone dripping with mockery as he bent slightly to match Zane's height. His arms crossed, and he stared down, emphasizing the height difference with a cocky grin. He knew he was being obnoxious, but that was the point.
Max's grin widened as he saw Zane's face flush red, the irritation evident. Perfect, he thought. After all, annoying people is my speciality. His father always said he had a knack for being annoying, and in this moment, the heir was more than happy to live up to that reputation.
Zane stepped forward, mirroring Max's posture with arms crossed, his face calm but betraying subtle frustration.
"Yes," Zane said, rolling his eyes, his voice laced with disdain. Then, without missing a beat, he brushed the edge of his arm deliberately against the heir.
This movement made Max think that Zane was trying to pick a fight with him. Indeed, the chef is really trying to provoke him, which is clearly effective as the young master subconsciously clenched his jaw.
"Are you trying to pick a fight, cutie boy?" the heir asked, raising his thick eyebrows. Although the guy is cute, he is still a stranger to him, so he doesn't care if he lets loose for a bit.
"Nahhh. I just accidentally touched your arm. Not that it hurt you, right?" Zane grinned. Even though Zane had done it on purpose, he didn't want to end up with a visible black eye in the morning. The difference in body size and height was obvious; he would get thrown the moment the young master landed his fist on him, and Zane didn't want that to happen.
Max shrugged. "Okay."
'He is like my siberian , black cat, Leon. So daring and audacious'
Zane was about to add fuel to the fire because he wasn't one to back down however, stopped before he could say anything. "Hey Zane, you should stop talking. Do you even know who he is?" Rica intervened.
Max perked his ears as he heard the yellow-aproned girl call the guy Zane.
'So his name is Zane, huh? Cute name for a feisty guy.'
Zane's confused expression made Max laugh. He found Zane adorable for not recognizing him. After all, even Maximus himself sometimes forgot that he is a wealthy guy who frequently appeared on TV for being the only heir openly flaunting his social status. This had made him infamous as the annoying, intolerable, foul-mouthed son of a wealthy businessman-a sole heir constantly rumoured to have countless dating scandals.
"So, who is this dirty jerk?" Zane questioned, but before the young master could respond to complain, the chef's colleague stepped in to introduce him.
"Shut your mouth, Zane," Rica said quietly but firmly. "That guy is no other than Mr. Maximus Evander MacGregor. He's the only son and heir of the biggest real estate empire in the country. He's not just some spoiled rich kid; his family's influence stretches across the entire industry. So, if you were thinking of pushing any further, remember who you're dealing with."
Zane's initial confusion gave way to a mix of surprise and realization. He hadn't expected the seemingly spoiled and childish guy in front of him to be someone so prominent. He glanced at Max, who was still smirking, clearly amused by the chef's reaction.
Zane calmed his nerves, took a deep breath, and exhaled before launching his final attack. There was no way he would let Max's grinning face remain for much longer.
"So what?"