Chapter 17

"Cough! Cough!" Serena Blake choked on the thick smoke, covering her mouth as she hurried out of the kitchen. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Aria Bennett effortlessly helping Caleb Monroe and his companion light the stove, and her heart sank.

Five minutes later, Serena reappeared at the kitchen doorway, forcing an apologetic smile. "I'm so sorry, everyone. I have mild asthma—I had to step out for a moment."

Caleb waved it off. "No worries. Aria already got it sorted for us."

Serena gritted her teeth. Aria had stolen her moment. She plastered on a smile. "Shall I start cooking, then?"

"Go ahead," Caleb said before heading out to the yard to help with other tasks.

Serena quickly snatched up the easiest ingredients—pork, chicken, eggs—then turned to Aria. "Aria, why don’t you handle the rice while I cook first?"

Aria didn’t even look up. "Whatever." She glanced at the remaining fish and cured meat, a faint smirk playing on her lips.

[Wow, Serena’s fast!]

[Aria’s so chill—I’d have argued over that.]

Serena had expected Aria to snap, but her calm indifference only made her more frustrated. She huffed and started chopping the chicken, her knife skills visibly shaky.

Meanwhile, Aria had already sliced the fish into perfect, paper-thin fillets with effortless precision.

[Her knife skills are insane!]

[Is Aria a professional chef or something?]

Serena struggled with the heavy wok, nearly flipping the chicken out several times.

[Serena doesn’t seem used to cooking.]

[That wok’s tricky, but Aria makes it look easy.]

Audrey Lane stood nearby, watching the contrast between them—Aria moved like water, while beads of sweat formed on Serena’s forehead.

With a loud clang, Serena plated her spicy chicken, though the edges were burnt. She forced a smile and moved on to the next dish.

By then, Aria had prepped all her ingredients. She pulled out a jar of pickled vegetables and began making Sichuan fish stew. Soon, the rich aroma filled the kitchen.

[My mouth is watering.]

[Aria left half in the pot?]

Audrey tilted her head. "Why not serve it all?"

Aria tossed in a handful of dried chili peppers. "This batch’s for those who like it extra spicy."

Audrey’s eyes lit up. "That’s so thoughtful!"

[Aria’s considerate.]

[The difference is stark—Serena only catered to Damian and Nolan.]

Serena nearly dropped her spatula at the exchange. It dawned on her—she’d been so focused on impressing Damian Cross and Nolan Reed that she’d ignored everyone else.

Two distinct scents mingled in the kitchen, an unspoken battle between the actresses. And in the livestream, the audience’s reactions painted a clear divide.