At 9 pm in night , the City was a vibrant with lights, bustling with life as the night came alive. Sabina Emom, exhausted from her long day, parked her latest edition limted car in the garage and entrred her villa. After a quick face scan to unlock the door, she stepped inside. The house was dark and eerily quiet.
For a moment, Sabina began to wonder if she had walked into the wrong home. In the past, no matter how late at night she returned, Soudeep would always leave a light on for her, with a warm cup of caupicinno waiting on the sofa. But tonight, there was only dark silence.
Sabina Emom hesitated, then changed into something more comfortable, grabbed a bottle of cold water from the refrigerator , and sat on the expensive wooden chair. She closed her eyes, seeking a moment of calmness.
"You're back?
Camelia and Samuel are already asleep. Are you hungry? I can make you some snacks. Its not good to eat late night food."
Soudeep's gentle voice echoed in her mind. Startled, she opened her eyes. The hugely decorated living room was empty. The warmth of her children and ex husband's presence was nothing more than a memory, and an inexplicable wave of frustration welled up inside her.
Feeling distracted, she picked up her phone and dialed a number.
" Timi are you free? I'll treat you to dinner."
A lazy voice answered, "No, I am not free … Wait, what? Treat me to dinner? Do you even realize what time it is?"
"I just got home from work. I haven't eaten yet," Shen Muyan calmly replied, her tone carrying a hint of complaint, as if to say, " Do you think it's easy working myself to my limits every day?
Sabina's friend Timi sighed on the other end.
"Can't you take better care of yourself? How do you even forget to eat?" Timi angrily asked her friend Sabina
, Timi Sloma was a TV anchor of a food show, with tens of millions of followers and regular features in food magazines, was in the middle of revising the script for her next episode when Sabina Emom called. Timi was used to her friend's habit of neglecting meals for excessive work , so she agreed herself to joining her friend Sabina for a late dinner, treating it more like a midnight snack.
The two of them ended up in a narrow, lively small street lined with street vendors. Sabina Emom rubbed her nose in hidden disgust as she sat on an old chair , clearly uncomfortable in the environment. Timi couldn't help but laugh.
"Mrs. Lady CEO, the best food is often found in these little, small streets , trust me."
Sabina Emom still frowned, worried about her hygiene, though she knew Timi's recommendations were never wrong. She trusted that the taste of food would be good, even if the surroundings were full of dust.
After some time, the food arrived. Timi Sloma excitedly picked up her chopsticks and began to eat food, her face lighting up with happiness at the taste. Sabina Emom hesitated for a moment, then followed her friend. The moment the" paneer chop " entered her tongue, her expression changed—her eyes widened in delight. The taste was unexpectedly amazing, even though the hygiene didn't look all that appealing.
Timi laughed triumphantly, watching her notoriously picky friend enjoy the meal.
"So, Mrs. Lady CEO, how does the food taste? Was I right?"
"Quite good," Sabina Emom admitted, nodding her head in approval. Then she turned to the owner, asking if they had more dishes like the ones served on their table. She was already imagining how great it would be to recruit such a skilled chef for her hotel's kitchen.
But after some enquiries, her hopes were dashed. The small shop owner specialized in only a few paneer dishes, and the rest of the dishes just tasted average. She was disappointed and abandoned the idea of recruiting the shop owner —her hotel guests couldn't live on paneer dishes alone.
Timi Sloma started, shaking her head.
"It's this late at night, and you are still thinking about work? Can't you just enjoy the meal for once?"
Sabina sighed.
"You're a top food anchor with tons of connections. Can't you help me find a good chef?"
Timi Sloma shot her a look.
"You're looking for someone with national banquet-level skills. The only person I know who fits the bill is Old Pabo Seko from Camagher City, but he has retired. Are you really going to ask him to come to work for your hotel?"
Sabina sighed again, leaning on her back as Timi Sloma popped the last piece of paneer into her mouth, savouring the taste .