"What are you doing in the kitchen? Didn’t I ask you to leave the kitchen chores to the people appointed?" Ryan’s voice ca so unexpectedly that it made Zenith flinch, almost turning the pan in the wrong direction.
"Ah," she cried, dropping the cookware over the cooktop and stepping back.
Ryan hadn’t expected it to turn like that. He rushed to her side only to find the skin of the back of her hand all red. "You got yourself burned," he said, his hand moving to turn off the fla before holding her hand to check carefully. "How could you be so careless while working in the kitchen?"
"I ... I just got surprised. I didn’t think you would co out so soon." She stuttered out of nervousness mixed with the sting she was feeling from the burn.
Ryan glared at her, before taking her to put her hand down the running water. She winced and tried to pull back, but he held her hand firm.
"Keep it under the water," he said sternly, after which Zenith couldn’t defy.
She simply stared at her hand, which remained in his hold, down the running water. It made her heart flutter a little, but then she reminded herself that the one she was thinking of was a man out of her league ... her boss.
"Sir, I think it’s better now," she said, trying to pull her hand again, but the mont Ryan glared at her, she halted, hesitating again.
"Are you sure?" he asked, and she barely nodded. "Fine, then, go out and sit in the living room. I will be there in a second."
She opened her mouth to refuse, but seeing his brows furrowing, she nodded and left as asked.
And as he had promised, in a few seconds, he ca with a first aid box in his hand.
She scooted a little in her seat and extended her hand out to take the box from him. "I can do it by myself."
"How?" he asked back, sitting beside her and opening the box to get the ointnt out. Gazing at her, he added with a serious tone, "You burnt your right hand."
Zenith looked down at her hand and pursed her lips.
Ryan waited for a few seconds to hear her retort. But when nothing ca, he simply reached out, took her hand carefully in his and then spread the gel over the reddened skin.
She winced a little, and he moved down to blow over. She paused at his gentle gesture, not quite able to react.
"Is it still making you uncomfortable?" he asked.
Zenith didn’t understand. "Huh?" Her thought was having so much that she couldn’t understand what Ryan had been referring to.
"The burn," he said, asking again, "Is it feeling better?" His voice was softer than usual.
She nodded.
And he gazed back down at the infected area. "Fortunately, the oil wasn’t that hot. It won’t give you blisters. This redness will get soothed out by morning."
She humd, not quite in response to his words. But rather in response to the gentle expression he held at that mont.
"What were you doing in the kitchen?" he asked, turning to keep the ointnt back in the first aid box. He waited to hear her reply.
But he only heard her hum in response. Ryan turned to look back at her, finding her in a daze.
He frowned. "I asked you sothing?"
Zenith blinked. "Sorry, sir," she quickly said before replying, "I was making sothing for dinner."
"But didn’t I say the people co to prepare it?" he then looked at the dining table, where the food seed to be kept prepared. "Soone had already prepared it. Then why did you do it again?"
She hesitated a little. "Sir ... the dinner prepared had sesa."
"So? You don’t like it?"
She shook her head. "I am allergic to it. So, I thought to do scrambled eggs."
Ryan stared at her for a mont before he stood up. "How do you like your scrambled eggs?" he asked, confusing the girl.
"Huh?"
"Soft, fluffy or with cheese, vegetable or at?" he asked, already moving in the direction of the kitchen.
Zenith could respond imdiately. He simply watched as her boss went and tied an apron around his waist.
"We don’t have the whole night, Zenith. Tell your preferences fast, and I will prepare it so that we can have dinner soon. I am already famished."
"Ah, I like it fluffy. But it’s okay, sir," she stood up to follow him. "Now that I am better, I can do."
But before she could enter the kitchen, he stopped, pointing towards the dining table. "Sit there and wait. Don’t co here."
"But sir —"
"I don’t like repeating myself, Zenith. Sit there and wait. I will be done soon." And with that, he moved around the counter, whisking the egg with practised ease.
Zenith watched, not able to hold her lips from curling.
Soon, Ryan was done. Undoing the apron, he brought the dish out, served on the plate. "Here, you go," he said before looking at the other dishes on the table. "I would go reheat them."
"That won’t be needed, Sir," Zenith stooped to him. "I have already reheated them. They are still warm."
Ryan paused before nodding. "Great, then. Let’s have dinner then." And then, he sat down, opposite to her, serving himself a plate.
But just when they were about to begin, they heard the doorbell ring.
Zenith reacted first. Pushing her chair, she stood up and offered, "I will go and check."
He nodded, and she went to check.
However, the mont she opened the door, she paused. Her brows knitted in a frown. "Ms. Ember," she greeted, not very politely this ti.
Delyth was taken aback. She hadn’t expected to see Zenith this late at Ryan’s place. "You? What are you doing here at this hour?" Her eyes shifted to look at her head to toe.
"I —"
"Who is it, Zenith?" Ryan’s voice ca, and soon he approached to find Delyth standing at the door. His brows furrowed in a frown. "What are you doing here, Delyth?"
"Shouldn’t I be the one asking that?" Her eyes, darting to look between him and Zenith.
————
In the anti, back at Winslow Residence —
Aiden entered the room right when Arwen exited the bathroom. She was wrapped in her robe, her hair wet, and her skin looking clean and fresh.
"You are done?" he asked, and she arched a brow in his way.
"Oh, why?" she asked, continuing, "Did you co to explain the relationship you share with your girl.friend?"
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