Three bowls of hot soup were served on the coffee table. The wall clock indicated 3 a.m. Andrew, Chick, and Adelline looked absorbed in slurping the steaming soup. “No way, I never expected this to be the best soup I've ever had in my life!” Andrew exclaimed, looking at Adelline. "You're amazing! I'm curious about your other recipes." "That's why you came to this city too soon. If you stayed a bit longer, you could have tasted many more of Adelline's dishes. She's amazing, she's my go-to chef," Chick quipped. Andrew redirected his gaze to Adelline, and the young girl shook her head, blushing. "But, from what I see in Adelline, she indeed has the aura of a great entrepreneur. It might sound strange, but I can read someone's character. Maybe it's because I've been in the business world for a long time. However, anyway you look at it, this is Adelline's life. Whatever choice she makes is surely the best for her," Andrew said. "Actually, I doubt that. Let me explain why she doesn't wa
The sound from the television woke Andrew up; he had been sleeping in the spare room not far from Adelline's room. He got up from the bed and peeked through the door. "Adelline... she's not sleeping," Andrew said. He decided to join Adelline, seizing the opportunity to talk to her about the dispute at the dinner table. "You're not sleeping, Adelline?" Andrew stood behind Adelline, spreading a smile despite the lingering drowsiness in his eyes. "I should be asking you, why aren't you sleeping? Is the bed uncomfortable for you?" Andrew moved closer to the sofa, his eyes focused on the empty spot, and asked again, "May I sit next to you?" "Of course, go ahead." Adelline shifted her body to the edge of the sofa, her eyes still fixed on the television, not looking at Andrew. Sadness and disappointment radiated from Adelline's gaze, and Andrew observed it deeply, making Adelline uncomfortable under his constant gaze. "Why?" Adelline asked, "Is there something wrong with me?" "No, I'm
Athena, Greece Three robust men in all-black attire were seen descending from an SUV parked in front of a five-star hotel. One of the men carried a suitcase matching the color of their clothes, and their tense expressions prompted whispers among the onlookers. Their broad strides brought them instantly to the elevator. Their powerful masculine charm, combined with well-defined chest and arm muscles, made people in front of the elevator step aside. Most of them were captivated women, while the rest were men feeling insecure after seeing the trio. "I never thought that since drinking Mr. Orlando's blood drops, the three of us have become genuinely powerful. I have never seen women look at me with such passionate eyes before," remarked one of the men. His two companions didn't respond to the statement. The elevator stopped on the 37th floor, and the three men swiftly exited the elevator, heading towards room number 777. The man carrying the suitcase led the way, knocking on the door
"He... He died because of me! Bruno died because of my selfishness and not caring about him!" Alberto shouted, causing one of the patrons sitting nearby to raise an eyebrow at Andrew. "Hey, calm down..." Andrew patted Alberto's shoulder, making the older man sit upright and face him. "Yes, you're right. I find it hard to calm down when it comes to Bruno. I've been punishing myself for so long. I've never felt satisfied, I wanted to feel more tormented. I felt... I'm unworthy of living, I wanted to take his place. Bruno should have enjoyed his life; he shouldn't have died because of love; he shouldn't have died due to depression... It torments me." Andrew comforted Alberto, and in his visions, he saw that Bruno had a heated argument with Alberto. They were in a room that indicated the presence of a woman on a bed, her body covered with just a blanket. Of course, Alberto didn't wait long to gulp down the beer. Within moments, his tall glass
"How are you, Andrew? Are you okay? It's a tough day for you, isn't it?" Andrew was greeted by Roger, and he could only shrug while taking a deep breath. Roger's words were sincere, as Andrew's expression couldn't hide the sorrow in his heart when he returned to New York. "Of course, this is the toughest day of my life. I lost my love, Roger, how could I stay calm? I won't pretend, feel free to mock me or call me a weak man. That's true; I am weak when it comes to love." Roger shook his head with a sympathetic smile. He and Andrew exchanged glances, communicating through eye contact while opening the car door for Andrew. Andrew's heartache immediately enveloped every corner of the car, and the cheerful song on the radio was quickly replaced by a heartbroken rock song. "Lucky that someone's playing a sad song in the daytime; maybe the radio needs a special gift from you," teased Roger. "Shut up. By the way, forget about my broken heart. Where's Jeremiah? When is that crazy guy com
The rock music from Daniella's kitchen filled the air. Roger was seen enjoying the aroma of garlic that he was sautéing, occasionally mimicking the movements as if playing an electric guitar along with the music he was listening to. Andrew, complaining about hunger, prompted him to take the initiative to cook spaghetti aglio e olio, Andrew's favorite dish."Not done yet?" Andrew, standing near the kitchen's mini bar, looked astonished while covering his ears due to Roger's shouts, which matched the vocals in the music he was hearing. "Oh wow, hey, Roger!"Andrew's shout startled Roger, who immediately turned off the music with an irritated expression. "What's up?""Are you mad at me? I should be the one angry, hearing your voice when my stomach is growling. Aren't you finished yet? It's been almost half an hour, and as far as I know, you only need less than twenty minutes to cook this. It's not the first time you've made it for me," Andrew replied."Relax a bit. I'm just enjoying my f
Andrew waved his hand to disperse the cigarette smoke from Daniella. They were sitting by the pool, their favorite spot for conversations for about an hour. Not much had come out of Daniella's mouth about the surprising arrest of Miller."How long are you going to keep puffing your cigarette and stay silent? I thought I invited you to explain what really happened, not to cosplay as a mosquito when being exterminated using mosquito repellent.""I don't know where to start; there are too many thoughts clouding my mind right now, Andrew. Believe me, I wanted to share with you, even on the first day of the arrest. I wanted to call you, cry, and hug you, but I chose to stay silent. I was afraid you'd get angry and leave my life again," Daniella replied while extinguishing the cigarette in her hand.Andrew rolled his eyes. He moved to sit beside Daniella and took a deep breath. He embraced his biological mother and said, "Okay, if you don't want to tell me, I'll see it for myself tomorrow.
The aroma of cooking that wafted into Andrew and Roger's noses simultaneously woke them from their sleep. The two adult men exchanged glances, their expressions still marked by drowsiness."What time is it now?" Andrew asked, his eyes beginning to close again."It's eight in the morning. We've only slept for about two and a half hours."Andrew stretched upon hearing Roger's response. "If it weren't for this cooking aroma, I might have slept the whole day. I'm not lying, the smell is so delicious, right? You also woke up because of this aroma, didn't you?""Yes, of course, nothing else could disturb us except for this, Andrew.""Ah, both of you are awake, it seems! Wash your faces, and sit with me for breakfast." Daniella approached them while carrying a freshly cooked dish from the kitchen.Andrew and Roger got up from their respective positions, heading to the two different toilets behind the kitchen and near the living room. A warm smile appeared on Daniella's face as she watched he