Dalton took a long drag of breath as he strode sumptuously into his grand mansion. Seeing the tranquility of the atmosphere with no humans in sight was very welcoming to him. He hates to be around people; that's why he bought a multi-million dollar mansion located deep in the woods, far from human civilization.
Unfortunately, his peace is occasionally disrupted because he lives with his boisterous godmother, Nana Rose, who is quite loud when doing chores around the house or barking orders at Mr. Amos, the driver assigned to her by Dalton.
And, of course, there are his three rowdy brothers who love to pester him. They often visit him unannounced, which annoys him greatly. Dalton sometimes manages to get his way by sending his godmother on vacation and changing the security code to enjoy a peaceful month of isolation. However, there are times when they won't budge.
"Nana Rose," Dalton called out, but there was no response. A smirk crept onto his face. "Good, the old lady isn't around," he felt happy. He is home alone.
It was time to find a bottle of whiskey in the minibar at his suite to celebrate a victory. He had just closed a significant deal: he purchased the most expensive hotel in the country. The hotel was owned by one of his enemies, who had refused to sell it to him. Dalton had to resort to dubious and ruthless methods to compel him to do so.
Five dead bodies were discovered in the hotel over the course of two weeks, which severely impacted business. As a result, the owner was forced to close the hotel, leaving them with no choice but to sell It to Dalton.
Dalton planted the dead bodies in the hotel with the assistance of a crime boss, a long-time friend of his. When it comes to business, he is ruthless. He does whatever it takes to obtain what he desires, using brutal force if necessary.
While the former owner of the hotel is planning his revenge, he intends to add this hotel he purchased to the collection of hotels he has acquired, transforming them into the largest hotel chain in the country. Then later he sells the chain to the highest bidder.
For now, he needs a strong liquor to celebrate with, but first, he needs some water. Dalton quickly heads to the kitchen and grabs a bottle of water from the fridge.
As he gulped down the water, he subconsciously tilted his head to the right. He frowned, narrowing his eyes to double-check if what he was seeing was real. Someone was lying on the floor in front of the kitchen island.
He closed the bottle's lid, placed it back in the fridge, and moved closer. It was a woman. He crouched down to get a better look at her face.
Dalton examined the woman's face and realized she was a young woman—a beautiful young woman lying on his kitchen floor. How did she get here? Who is she? He took another look at her, and then something clicked. He recognized her; he had seen her somewhere before.
He studied her face once more as he rammed his mind to figure out where and how he knew this woman. Wait… This is the waitress from Venus City Gentlemen's Club, the girl Aiden harassed, and he had to intervene.
What is she doing in his house? How did she get in here? The mansion's security is top-notch; even the smartest criminal can't gain access.
As he became lost in his thoughts, the woman's eyes suddenly flung open, rattling Dalton.
She stared at him in awe. "I… I know you…" she murmurs, pointing a finger at him.
"I know you too," Dalton replied.
"What are you doing in my house?" he asked sharply. But there was no response; the lady fainted again.
He needed to get her medical care. He wanted to take her to the hospital but he remembered one of his brothers is a doctor.
Dalton stood up, took his phone out of his pocket, and dialed his brother's number. Oliver picked up immediately.
"Hello, Oliver. I need a favor. An unconscious woman is lying in my kitchen. Please come and take a look at her; use the helicopter to get here quickly," Dalton requested. He hung up.
Dalton briefly glanced at the woman before walking out of the kitchen. He went to his suite to pour himself a drink. When he returned to the kitchen, he was holding a glass of whiskey. As he entered, he took a step back; the same woman who had been lying unconscious on the floor was now sitting at the kitchen island.
She stood up and looked up at him, her lips parted in surprise."Y-You… are the owner of this mansion?" she stuttered. "You're Nana Rose's godson?"
Dalton nodded. "You have regained your consciousness."
"Yes, I'm sorry about that. I passed out from exhaustion," she replied, her tone flustered.
"Oh, you must be wondering what I'm doing here. Thinking I must be a thief" She chuckled nervously.
"Are you a thief?" Dalton asked nonchalantly.
"Huh?" she gasped. "No, no, I'm not!" She squirmed, fear slithering in her blue eyes.
She exhaled and said, "My name is Maya DeLuca. Nana Rose hired me to cook Lobster Ravioli for you." Her words came out in a breathy tone
Dalton asked indifferently, "You are a chef?"
Maya nodded. "I know you recognize me from the gentlemen's club. That's my part-time job; being a chef is my real job."
"I see," Dalton said, gulping down his whiskey to the last drop. He decided to go for a second round; he was craving for more liquor.
He placed the empty glass on the kitchen island counter and gazed intently at Maya without blinking. She was a strikingly beautiful woman with long, inky black hair, cat-shaped blue eyes, and plump lips that could be any man's downfall. Her simple shirt and jeans did little to conceal her alluring curves. He noticed that she seemed completely oblivious to her beauty. There was an innocent aura about her that added to her charming beauty.
"Temptress," Dalton mouthed. She was the kind of woman he needed to avoid; he was too hypnotized by her beauty. He doesn't need this kind of distraction.
She blushed under his intense gaze, her eyes lingering on her feet.
Dalton asked, "What is so fascinating about your feet? You keep staring at them." He looked at her feet and noticed that her left foot had a Band-Aid covering a wound.
"What happened to your foot, Maya?" Dalton inquired gently.
"It was a kitchen hazard," Maya replied, raising her head to meet his gaze. Her eyes wavered, she couldn't hide her shyness.
Dalton narrowed his eyes at her. She was lying; he could tell when he stared deep into her eyes. But why is she lying?
"It didn't happen here. It happened at home," she explained.
Dalton's gaze remained fixed on her. She wasn't lying about it happening at home, but she had lied about it being a kitchen hazard.
Why did she lie? Did someone do this to her foot?
Maya suddenly interrupted his thoughts. "Um, your meal. I present to you Lobster Ravioli, delicately made by me, and strawberry shortcake for dessert," she said in a professional tone as she lifted the stainless steel food cover to showcase the meal to Dalton.
Dalton peered at the lobster ravioli. His godmother hadn't given up. He sighed inwardly. No one could make lobster ravioli as good as his late father.
The poor girl might cry if he refused to have a taste, so Dalton decided to take a bite.
He picked up the fork from the tray and dug into the lobster ravioli. He took a forkful and brought it to his mouth, He chewed slowly, savoring the taste. He paused for a moment before taking another bite. His eyes gradually pinned on Maya, who was rubbing her hands together anxiously. "This is the best lobster ravioli I have ever tasted. It's better than my father's," he admitted. He couldn't believe that after all these years, he was finally able to say this.
Maya gasped with joy. "Really?"
"You are a good chef," he complimented her. The lobster ravioli took him down memory lane, reminding him of the good old days when his father was alive and he was a carefree happy child.
Celebrating the purchase of that hotel with a well-made lobster ravioli isn't bad after all. He pulled up a stool and sat down to enjoy his meal.
"Glad you love it, sir," Maya said, a wide smile lighting up her face.
The more he ate, the more it tasted better. He hadn't had a meal this delicious in a while. Eating had always been a chore, a necessity for him. He never realized that eating could also be a pleasure, this lobster ravioli was giving him all the feels and elevating his mood.
"Why don't you become my personal chef?" he suggested, turning to look at Maya, only to find her missing.
"Maya?" Dalton stopped eating and hurled off the stool. He glanced at the floor, and there she was, lying on the floor like she was Sleeping Beauty.
"She passed out again," Dalton said amusedly