They stood there, wide-eyed, looking guilty like kids caught raiding the cookie jar. But their admission wasn’t just guilt—it was sothing deeper, like they knew this request was loaded with more than what they were letting on.
"And why," she asked, voice dripping with exhaustion and suspicion, "are you telling this? Isn’t the chef here? Ask her to make you sothing."
Ray’s eyes flickered, and he stumbled over his words like a man who knew he was about to walk into a trap. "The chef is... on leave," he said, his voice trailing off at the end, as if hoping she wouldn’t press any further.
Es blinked, her tired brain struggling to process what she just heard. "What?" she asked, frowning. "Then ask one of the other chefs. There are at least four in this house, last I checked."
Now it was Kai’s turn to look uncomfortable. His eyes darted nervously to Ray, as if begging for backup, but Ray was busy pretending to study a spot on the carpet. Kai cleared his throat, clearly unprepared for this line of questioning. "Uh... well, you see, they’re all on leave," he said, his words quick and disjointed, like he was trying to unload a ticking bomb.
Es’s eyes narrowed dangerously as she crossed her arms, leaning against the banister. She wasn’t buying it. "All of them?" she repeated slowly, her voice dropping an octave. "Every single one of our chefs just happens to be on leave... all at the sa ti? That doesn’t make any sense."
The brothers exchanged uncomfortable glances, their eyes darting to one another in a silent plea for soone else to speak up. Kai, seeing no escape, sighed heavily and scratched the back of his neck, looking everywhere but at her. "Well, you know... they’re servants, right? But they’re people too. So, of course, we had to give them a break... uh, for reasons."
Es gave him a long, unblinking stare, her lips pressing into a thin line. Her fingers drumd against her arm as she processed his absurd explanation. "You’re telling ," she began slowly, "that every single chef in this house is on a synchronized vacation. You’re seriously asking to believe that?"
The silence that followed was deafening. Ray was nervously adjusting his sleeves, while Kai had gone back to pretending to read through the docunts in front of him. Jay and Aiden, who had stayed quiet this whole ti, were now watching Es carefully, as if bracing for impact.
Es sighed heavily, her frustration mounting. "You know what? I don’t care. You guys figure it out. I’m going to bed."
She turned again, prepared to let the ridiculousness of the situation go for the sake of her sanity, but she hadn’t even taken two steps when a hesitant voice interrupted her.
"Wait!"
Es stopped, her body stiff with irritation. She didn’t turn around imdiately, taking a deep breath before slowly pivoting to face them again. This ti, it was Jay, who had been sitting there fidgeting the whole ti. His voice carried a sense of urgency, like this was his last chance to stop her.
Es’s patience had officially hit its limit. Her eyes flashed dangerously as she fixed her gaze on Jay. "Now what?" she snapped, the sharpness of her voice causing all four brothers to straighten in their seats, looking more nervous than ever.
Jay, wide-eyed and clearly uncomfortable under the weight of her glare, hesitated for a mont before speaking. "It’s not... it’s not just about the food."
Es’s eyes narrowed even further, her irritation mixed with curiosity now. "What do you an, ’not just about the food’? What’s going on?"
Jay opened his mouth to answer but faltered, his gaze shifting to Ray for help. Ray let out a low sigh, rubbing his temples like he had a headache coming on. "It’s... well..." he started, searching for the right words. "There’s... sothing we need to talk to you about."
Es crossed her arms, her foot tapping against the step as she waited. "Go on."
Kai and Ray exchanged another silent look, and Kai finally caved with a resigned shake of his head. "Fine, I’ll say it." He stood up, straightening his jacket as if preparing for a speech. "We didn’t want to bother you, especially with you being tired and all, but there’s... been an issue."
Es’s eyes stayed locked on him, her frustration montarily forgotten as she tried to piece together what he was getting at. "An issue?"
Kai nodded. "Yes. A... financial issue."
Es blinked, surprised. Of all the things she had expected, this wasn’t one of them. "A financial issue?" she repeated slowly. "Like... a serious one?"
Kai nodded again, his expression grim. "It’s complicated, and we’ve been trying to handle it, but... we’re going to need your help."
Es looked between the brothers, her frustration giving way to concern. Whatever this was, it was clearly more serious than she’d thought. "Alright," she said, her voice softening slightly. "Tell everything."
....
"Really guys!".
Es’s patience wore thin after twenty minutes of awkward silence, each brother’s evasive glances amplifying her irritation. She glanced at Jay, who fidgeted nervously, guilt etched across his face, as if he were trying to disappear into his seat.
Ray shifted uncomfortably, his eyes darting around the room as though searching for a quick escape. Kai was fixated on the ceiling, studying the tiles as if they held the secrets to their predicant. Ryan, usually the composed one, sat silently, his expression tight with anxiety.
"Guys," Es finally broke the silence, her voice cutting through the tension like a knife. "Are you seriously trying to tell that the financial crisis you’re all moaning about is because of a diamond ring?" She raised an eyebrow, skepticism dripping from her words as she turned her attention to Ray.
"If I’m not mistaken, you spend more on a single dinner with your clients than that ring costs. So how is this a crisis, Mr. Aron?"
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