Galaxy Grand Hotel
A young woman's gaze darted outside her hotel room. The morning vista of the city was a fuzzy vision in her eyes, and her mind was preoccupied with thoughts only she knew.
'sigh!'
She checked her phone on the table to see if there were any messages or missed calls, but she was disappointed. She had been waiting for someone to call since last night, but she never received a single call from the person she expected.
The woman sitting on the couch couldn't help but frown at her lady's concerned expression. " ( Miss Angélique? Is there something wrong? )"
Angélique didn't respond. Her eyes held a gloomy expression, anticipating for Jared to call her. The woman glanced at the phone on the table and she immediately understood the problem of her young miss.
"Vous attendez son appel ? ( Are you waiting for his call? )"
"Suis-je trop directe ? Est-ce que je me suis forcée à le fréquenter hier soir ? ( Am i too straightforward? Did I push myself in him last night? )"
She felt dejected, thinking that Jared might find her a pushover. She just wanted to teach her how to cook, but the negative thoughts kept flooding in.
She took a deep breath and shifted her eyes outside the window, with her face wearing a disappointed and dejected expression. "C'est bon, je me sens désolé pour moi-même ( It's fine. I feel sorry for myself )"
Just as she was about to give up on being taught, her phone lit up and rang continuously; like lightning, she jumped to her feet, grabbed the phone, and pressed the screen to respond without hesitation. "Allo ? Jared ? ( Hello? Jared? )"
"Quoi ? Comment le savais-tu ? ( What? How did you know? )"
Hearing the voice from the other line, Angélique's face brightens up and her heart leaps from overjoy. She immediately composed herself and cleared her throat.
"J'ai deviné. Et alors ? Tu es prêt à m'apprendre ?. ( I took a guess. So? Are you willing to teach me? )"
"Oui, j'y ai réfléchi et je n'ai pas le cœur de refuser la supplication d'une fille filiale, alors je suis d'accord. ( Yes. I thought about it and i don't have the heart to refuse the plea of a filial daughter, so i agree )"
Angélique's lips curved up from ear to ear, hearing the answer she was anticipating since last night.
"Ok. Je euh... je voulais t'inviter puisque la chambre d'hôtel a une petite cuisine, mais je ne veux pas qu'ils me voient, alors, tu connais une cuisine louable en ville ?. ( Okay. I uh...i wanted to invite you since the hotel room has a small kitchen, but i don't want them to see me so, do you know any rentable kitchen in the city? )"
While speaking, she keeps on pacing back and forth, she couldn't calm herself.
"Ne t'inquiète pas, tu peux venir chez moi. Et si tu veux, amène ton ami avec toi. ( Don't worry, you can come to my house. Also, bring your friend with you if you want )"
"Ok. Ne t'inquiète pas, je vais faire mes courses. À quelle heure dois-je venir ?. ( Okay. Don't worry, i will buy the grocery. What time should i come there? )"
"Peut-être dix, puisque c'est toi qui cuisineras. ( Maybe ten, since you will be the one cooking )". She immediately nodded while listening to Jared and replied, "Bien sûr. Où dois-je aller ?. ( sure. Where should i go? )"
"Demandez à quelqu'un de vous conduire à Crystal Community, Starry Moon Lake Villa. ( Have someone drive you to Crystal Community, Starry Moon Lake Villa )"
Angélique immediately replied. She couldn't wait to learn. She wanted to learn as much as possible in a short amount of time. If only they could stay for a month or two, but a week is insufficient for her. She was eager to learn since she felt she had found someone to teach her, but the realisation knowing the chances and remaining days were numbered, saddened her greatly.
Following the brief talk, she turned her gaze to her assistant, the translator. She told her about the plan and where they were going. She wanted to keep it a secret from her family, and her assistant quickly understood and assured her that it would be kept private from others. Angélique will be safe because her aide was a black belter. If somebody comes and raises a fuss, the assistant will quickly terminate them.
After an hour, they get ready to head out when Angélique's older brother came. Her body tensed like someone who has been caught cheating, her chest fell into a sudden thump of nervousness. Her brother walked up to her with a smile.
"Tu sors ? Je t'accompagne ? Je connais la ville donc je peux t'emmener n'importe où. ( Are you going out? Should i come with you? I know the way around the City so i can take you anywhere. )"
The sudden gentle tone of thoughtfulness gave her a sense of love and care. She wanted to, but the circumstances prevent her from saying anything so she immediately declined.
"C'est bon, mon frère. J'ai Valen avec moi. ( It's fine, brother. I have Valen with me. )" She said in assurance, giving her brother the face of a loving sister. Her brother contemplated for a moment but he eventually agreed.
"Ok. Soyez prudent. Si quelque chose arrive, assurez-vous d'appeler. ( Okay. Be careful. If something happens, make sure to call. )"
"Je vais. ( I will. )"
After bidding farewell and concealing her nervousness from her brother, Angélique and her companion left the hotel and went all the way to the supermarket to acquire the necessary supplies. She didn't want Jared to provide the items she needed, so she insisted on purchasing them herself.
She also prepared paper bills on the envelope to give Jared in return for teaching her, and she hope that it will help him.
After buying everything they needed, they went to their designated locations given by Jared. Soon after they arrived at the gate, the guards stopped them.
The guard and her assistant began to converse. As for Angélique who was having trouble, she sat back on her seat while scrolling through her phone. She flipped the camera to capture the entire surroundings in a video.
After the conversation, their car followed the two-seat battery-powered cart. As they drove along the path, Angélique's phone photographed every scene they saw and she could not help but frown. She recognised the community they were in was one of the private homes, such as villas and mansions. The cart in front of them came to a stop at the massive home. The guard on the cart spoke again with her assistant.
After the guard went, the gate automatically opened, and they couldn't help but gape at each other. Arriving at the gate didn't give them a heartbeat, but seeing the vast property in front of them made them swallow their saliva.
As they were staring at the Villa, the entrance opened wide, displaying Jared in his usual white shirt and dark pants. He gestured for the two to enter, and they did, nonetheless the magnificent front view rivalled the interior of the house. From famous paintings to beautiful décor, everything inside is pricey.
Angélique thought that Jared was nothing but a normal guy who works part-time, but she didn't know that the guy she thought was normal, turns out to be a wealthy man.
"Veuillez d'abord vous asseoir. Nous avons encore du temps, alors rafraîchissons-nous d'abord. ( Please sit down first. We still have time, so let's refresh ourselves first. )"
They sat on a comfy couch. The air was scented with pleasant perfume. Jared sets placed the tray of drinks in front of them. Angélique drank a sip and avoided wasting any more time, speaking her mind. "Pourquoi ne pas commencer ? J'ai hâte d'apprendre. ( Why don't we start? I can't wait to learn. )"
She was thrilled to hear that she would no longer waste time sitting and drinking. She wanted to pursue more because she had limited time. Seeing Angélique's determination, Jared smiled and escorted her to the kitchen, leaving the assistant in the living room.
When they got to the cooking area, the supplies were already prepared. He made Angélique wear the apron and stand behind her.
He began guiding Angélique. He did not interfere, instead guiding her on what she should do next. Angélique nodded enthusiastically and began to act.
Jared recognised Angélique's lack of cooking experience despite her tidy appearance and determined demeanour. Despite the fact that she was going slowly and with some difficulty, Jared remained silent by her side. He hesitated to help her because it was her the one who asked, so he preferred staying silent and observe.
Throughout the whole process, Angélique's face wore mixtures of emotions. When she was done, she plated the dish and served them on the table where Jared was.
"j'ai fait exactement comme tu me l'as dit, mais je ne sais pas quel goût ça a. ( I did exactly as you told me, but i don't know how it taste. )" She replied shyly. Her cheeks were painted with a subtle blush, and her thumbs were playing to one another.
The dish was served like an amateur, and the outside layer of meat was a touch darker than what he had prepared. The berries were spread across the plate in an amateurish manner, and the sauce on the side was a bit excessive.
Jared didn't say anything. He took a tiny amount of meat and tasted it. While Jared chewed the food, Angélique sat across from him, her forehead wrinkled. Her heart was pounding rapidly. She was tempted to open her lips and ask, but she preferred to keep silent, waiting for Jared to evaluate the dish she prepared.
She gulped when Jared puts down the fork and wiped the corner of his mouth. He drank the water then looked at Angélique with a serious expression.
If the dish were presented in front of the food critic, the rating will be negative, fortunately for Angélique, Jared was not one. Though the plating was important, he chose to ignore it since it was the first time for her. He couldn't care less about the appearance, the most important factor is the taste.
"Je vais te dire la vérité. ( I will tell you the truth. )"
Angélique's heartbeat quickened as she became extremely worried, agitated swiftly covered her face.
"Le feu est trop fort, donc la couche extérieure était un peu brûlée et l'intérieur était légèrement cru. Vous avez utilisé trop d'agrumes, donc la sauce n'était pas équilibrée. Si je suis un vrai juge, la note pour ce plat est décevante. ( The fire is too high so the outer layer was a bit burned and the inside was slightly raw. You used too much citrus so the sauce was unbalanced. If i am a real judge, the rate for this dish is dissapointingly negative. )"
Hearing what Jared stated.
Angélique's face was devastatingly fallen into nothingness. With nothing positive around her...as if paradise collapsed beneath her feet, shattering her with indecisive loss.