"Mrs. Morrison, please let me handle the cooking." Lana said to Elena, hovering near the stove. 

The housegirl had on a respectful yet concerned expression on her face as she watched what her madam was doing. 

Elena glanced briefly at her, smiling brightly. 

"No, Lana. I've got this. Adrian is coming back today. After a whole week. I want to be the one to cook for him." Elena said as she stirred the sauce, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. 

"But, you don't use to do—" Lana was protesting with her eyes trained on Elena's delicate hands.

"I'm fine." Elena cut her off gently, the excitement in her voice unwavering. 

"He has been away for too long. I have missed him, and I know he has missed home. This meal… it has to be perfect. I want to make it with every bit of love my heart could give." She added excitedly. 

Lana hesitated, staring at her unsurely. Then after a moment, she spoke up:

"If you say so, ma'am. But please, be careful."

Elena laughed softly. 

"You worry too much." She said, brushing off her worry and reached for a pan which she put on the stove gently. 

At that moment, Elena's mind was already picturing Adrian's reaction when he walked through the door. 

"He would smile, hug me, maybe even whisper how much he missed me in that deep voice of his that I love..." 

However, the sudden sizzle of oil brought her back to the present. She grabbed the handle of the hot pan without thinking.

And that burned her hand. 

"Ah!" She yanked her hand back, making the pan clatter against the stovetop.

"Mrs. Morrison! You are hurt!" Lana rushed forward, her eyes wide with alarm. 

"It is nothing. Just a little burn." Elena said and tried to smile but winced as she thought the burned area. 

At that, Lana had on the 'I told you so' expression, then she quickly grabbed the first aid box. 

"You should let me finish cooking." Lana stated. 

"No." Elena shook her head firmly. 

"I must do it. Adrian deserves this. I promised him…" Her voice softened, trailing off.

Lana sighed but didn't argue. She carefully took Elena's hand and began applying ointment. 

"At least let me dress the burn properly."

Elena watched silently as Lana wrapped the bandage around her hand.

"There! Now, please let me—" Lana was saying as she stepped back but wasn't allowed to finish her statement. 

"Go get the twins from school. I will be fine." Elena interrupted with a gentle smile.

Lana hesitated for a moment, then nodded. 

"Alright. I will be back soon." She said then walked out of the kitchen. 

As Lana left, Elena returned to the stove, her mind filled with thoughts of Adrian. 

"I hope he appreciates this..." Elena whispered as she stared at the pot. 

Then she started humming softly as she prepared the final touches, the aroma of the meal filling the kitchen.

 ~~~~~~~~~~

Later that evening, Elena stood outside the mansion, her eyes fixed on the long driveway. The sun had set, and she was anticipating the arrival of her husband.

She glanced at her phone. No messages. No calls.

"He should have been home by now..." Elena mumbled under her breath. 

The sound of footsteps pulled her from her thoughts. Lana appeared at the front door, a concerned look on her face. 

"Mrs. Morrison, you have been staring at the driveway for almost an hour..." Lana pointed out gently. 

"But have you tried calling him?" She asked. 

Elena blinked, then chuckled softly. 

"I didn't even think to call him." She shook her head then pulled out her phone and started dialing Adrian's number.

The line rang. Once. Twice. But there was no answer. 

She frowned as she tried again and this time, it went straight to voicemail.

"That is strange. He said he would be back today and according to the time, he should have arrived since an hour ago." She murmured, lowering her phone. 

"Maybe he got delayed?" Lana suggested, though her tone lacked conviction.

"Maybe…" Elena mumbled, heaving a sigh. Then she dialed the number again and it went to voicemail again.

"Should we call someone from his office, perhaps?" Lana suggested. 

Elena shook her head. 

"No. I don't think he would be at the office. He is probably just running late. He will be here soon." Elena forced a smile, as she maintained. She sounded as if she was trying to convince herself of what she was saying. 

Lana nodded in agreement and went silent. Minutes turned into an hour. Then another.

Elena paced the front porch, her phone clutched tightly in her hand. Darkness was already setting in. 

"He should at least call if there is a delay, right?" She muttered to herself.

Lana stepped closer. 

"Mrs. Morrison… maybe we should—" The housegirl was saying but Elena interrupted her. 

"No, there is no cause for alarm. He is fine. He has to be." She stated more to herself, her voice sounding firmer. 

They stood in silence for some minutes later. Finally, Elena sighed. 

"Let's go inside. He will show up." She said. 

As they entered the house, the television in the living room was on, and the evening news was playing softly in the background.

"…breaking news. A private jet, Flight 827, has crashed just outside the city…"

Elena froze as she heard that.

"What? Adrian!" She mumbled under her breath and her phone slipped from her hand, hitting the floor with a thud. 

Her lips parted slightly in shock as her heart pounded. 

"Mrs. Morrison, are you …" Lana began cautiously but Elena was far gone in her thoughts to hear anything. Her gaze remained fixed on the screen, as the reporter's words replayed in her mind.

"Adrian was supposed to be on a private jet..." The thought rang in Elena's head. 

"Could it be…?" She couldn't finish the statement as her lips quivered and her hands trembled in fear. 

"Was it his flight?"

"Could it be…?" She couldn't finish the statement as her lips quivered and her hands trembled in fear.