C14 Chapter Fourteen: An Offer

The scent of garlic and spices filled the air, wrapping the small kitchen in a steamy haze. I stirred the noodles in the pot with a little more force than necessary, trying to focus on the rhythm of the wooden spoon scraping against the pan instead of the man leaning against the counter behind me like he owned the world—and me.

"You seem so sure that I won't really leave