ared to leave for the restaurant. Julian had overheard her conversation with Jace but r

?" Julian asked,

he repli

ve your things here and live with me

e him, her expres

riage?. No one is supposed t

coffee cup down on the tab

u should obey your husband. From now on, I'll be keeping a close ey

et, even as doubt gnawed at her, she couldn't tear her gaze from his strikingly han

lied firmly, taking ano

the waiting car. From the window, Julian watched her departure, one hand tucked

. Every ingredient was meticulously arranged, ready for use. She wasn't here to help Edna or he

Crest, known for their discerning palates-especially the manager and the

I gotten myself i

removed from the flavors they were accustomed to. Then it came to her: the one recipe her late father had taught her, Souven

esolved. "Th

ed. As they settled in, an intoxicating aroma

Jackson Crestwood, Julian's father and chairma

creation with the exquisite, signature plating she al

hat I'm truly capable of," Tyla

pron tied and a small banda

d, her greeting dri

t gold medal again," Tyla

ood deeds,'" Edna replied with a saccharine smile-referri

me, Edna. Consider today my gift to you." It was more like a

r. And the taste-divine. It transported them back in time, evoking the warmth of home and the innocence of child

sfaction, basking in what s

wood said, dabbing his mouth with a napkin. "I can't re

before, years ago," another e

Bon Appétit compe

g chef who won that year. Her name escapes me now, but it

ir," she

t's what elevates them," Mr. Crestwood continued. "

ated questions. A true chef kn

s called..."

la emerged fr