C67 She Remained Frozen At The Doorway

Inside the kitchen, Alicia placed every bag neatly on the counter before taking a deep breath. "Let's get started."

She unpacked each ingredient one by one, arranging everything with remarkable precision. Since she had decided to prepare four traditional Scottish homemade dishes, she wanted every detail to be perfect. For the Cullen Skink, she carefully sliced onions into thin, even strips before peeling and dicing potatoes into small cubes. Fresh parsley was finely chopped while the smoked haddock was cleaned and set aside for later.

Next came the Cock-a-Leekie Soup. She washed several fresh leeks before cutting them into neat rings. She peeled carrots, chopped celery into small pieces, minced garlic, and prepared fresh thyme and bay leaves that would slowly release their aroma into the broth. For the Mince and Tatties, she peeled another batch of potatoes for creamy mashed potatoes. She then finely diced onions, carrots, and garlic before preparing the minced beef that would later simmer slowly with rich gravy.

Finally, for dessert, she gathered everything needed for Cranachan. Fresh raspberries were washed carefully, oats were lightly toasted in a pan until fragrant, while honey, whipped cream, and crushed almonds were measured and prepared. Every vegetable was chopped into almost identical sizes. Even a professional chef would have admired how organized her workstation looked.

Soon the kitchen became filled with the comforting sounds of cooking. Vegetables sizzled gently inside the pans while soup slowly simmered. The rich aroma of butter, herbs, onions, and garlic gradually spread throughout the house.

As Alicia reached for another bowl, her eyes landed on several dirty plates stacked neatly beside the sink. She paused. "They haven't washed these yet..." She thought for a moment before smiling. "They must have been in a hurry this morning." Without another thought, she rolled up her sleeves and quietly began washing every plate, bowl, spoon, fork, frying pan, and cup. By the time she finished, the sink sparkled as though no one had used it all day.

Upstairs, meanwhile, Sarah sat beside Chris and me in front of my computer. The footage resumed from the moment someone accidentally bumped into her. Red wine splashed across her white dress. Watching herself on the screen brought back the unpleasant memory. "I remember this..." She watched herself excuse herself before heading toward the elevators to clean up.

As soon as she disappeared from the screen, another figure entered. Ben. The waiter answered his phone before looking toward the corner of the hall. The video clearly showed him walking over. None of us spoke. Ben reached into his pocket and discreetly handed the waiter a tiny bottle. Sarah's eyes widened. The footage was fast-forwarded.

Moments later, the waiter carefully poured the contents of that bottle into one of the wine glasses before placing it on the tray. The tray was brought directly to our table. I could clearly be seen reaching for the very same glass. Just before I could drink it, however, several senior managers interrupted us to congratulate us on securing the overseas partnership.

While they talked, Chris casually picked up my untouched glass. Then... Everything changed. The footage became chaotic. Chris staggered before collapsing onto the floor. The next camera showed Sarah dragging his unconscious body down the hotel hallway with incredible determination before forcing him into one of the rooms. Sarah's heartbeat accelerated. She had expected the footage to continue inside the hotel room. Instead, the recording ended there. She quietly released the breath she had been holding.

Then she looked back at the earlier footage. Her expression became complicated. "So..." she whispered. "The target wasn't Chris." She slowly turned toward me. "It was you, Mike." Her voice was filled with guilt. "But... why?" She lowered her eyes. "My brother... why would he do something like this?"

Chris opened his mouth. He wanted to explain everything. He wanted Sarah to know the truth. After everything they had shared, something inside him no longer wanted secrets between them. Before he could speak, I interrupted him. "I'll leave that question for you to answer yourself." Sarah looked at me in confusion. "Your family already knows more than we do."

Chris looked at me helplessly before closing his mouth again. Sarah remained silent for several seconds. Nothing made sense anymore. "You both worked day and night for that overseas partnership." She looked genuinely confused. "My brother is one of the company's shareholders too. That project benefits him just as much." Her voice became softer. "So... why would he sabotage the very people bringing profits to the company?" She bit her lower lip. "Has my brother... really become that evil?"

Without hesitation, she stood up. Then she bowed deeply toward us. "I'm sorry." Her voice trembled. "I truly didn't know any of this." "I wasn't involved." "I swear." Chris and I exchanged glances before laughing almost at the same time.

Chris smiled warmly. "Don't worry." "I trust you completely." The words came out so naturally... So gently... That even I noticed something unusual. I slowly turned toward him. "...Wait a minute." Chris froze. I narrowed my eyes. "Is there something you two are hiding from me?"

Chris immediately looked away. "What? No." I folded my arms. "Chris..." "You have secrets again?" He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Brother, you're overthinking." I pointed between him and Sarah. "Are you pursuing Sarah?" Silence. I turned toward Sarah. Her cheeks gradually became pink. She lowered her head without saying a word. My eyes widened. "Don't tell me..." "I'm already too late." "You two are dating now?"

The room instantly became awkward. Neither of them dared to answer. Several seconds later, I burst into laughter. "Hahaha!" "Relax." "Whatever is hidden today will eventually finds its way into the light."

Chris forced out an equally awkward laugh. "Come on, Brother." "You know me." "When have I ever hidden anything from you?" I simply smiled. "Exactly." "That's why I'm suspicious." Even Sarah couldn't help smiling as the tense atmosphere finally disappeared.

Downstairs, Alicia continued stirring the soup while checking each dish carefully. The mashed potatoes had become wonderfully smooth. The beef gravy simmered gently. The smoked haddock had perfectly flavored the Cullen Skink, while the Cock-a-Leekie Soup filled the kitchen with its rich homemade aroma.

Everything was nearly finished. Satisfied, she wiped the kitchen counters one last time. The entire kitchen now looked cleaner than when she had first entered. Just then... She heard voices coming from the dining room. "They're finished already?" She smiled to herself. Thinking it was Mike, Chris, and Sarah coming downstairs, Alicia quickly walked toward the kitchen door. She unlocked it.

The moment she opened it... She froze. Standing in the dining room weren't Mike, Chris, or Sarah. Instead... Mary Smith and Quinton Smith had just returned home from work. Both of them stood rooted to the spot, staring at Alicia in complete surprise. They had clearly heard someone moving around inside the locked kitchen.

For several long seconds... No one spoke. Alicia remained frozen at the doorway, still wearing her apron. Mary blinked several times before looking toward the sparkling clean kitchen behind her. Then at the delicious food spread across the counters. Finally... She looked back at the embarrassed young woman standing before her.