The soft strains of jazz floated through the living room, a gentle backdrop to the warm glow of the overhead lights. The dining table was set neatly, crystal glasses catching the light, a bottle of red breathing beside a pair of half–filled glasses. The scent of roasted duck and citrus lingered in the air, rich and inviting.

Izzy watched Liam carefully, fork in hand, as he took a small bite of the Duck à l’Orange. His eyes narrowed slightly in concentration, chewing slowly. She leaned forward, eyes glinting with excitement.

“Well?” Izzy pressed, lips twitching at the corners. “Do you like it?”

Liam raised an eyebrow, setting his fork down. “This is Duck áà l’Orange?” he asked, a hint of amusement flickering in his

eyes.

Izzy rolled her eyes. “Obviously,” she huffed. “I just followed the recipe. It’s a bit complicated, but definitely worth it.”

Liam took another bite, chewing thoughtfully. He finally nodded, leaning back in his chair. “This is really good,” he admitted, lips twitching faintly. “I didn’t know you could cook something like this.”

with her fork. “Is that an insult?” she shot back, eyes

mildly, swirling the wine in his glass. “I just thought you didn’t have time for cooking, considering how busy you always

to breathe, let alone cook. And she was doing all those things for

spread down her throat. “I can follow instructions,” she muttered, feigning nonchalance. “Besides, you make it sound like I’ve never touched a

drawled, “considering the disaster that was your beef bourguignon back when we were sixteen, I’d say that’s a

“That was a long time ago,” she bit out, though a faint flush crept up her

disowned

groaned, dropping her face into her hands. “Don’t remind me,” she muttered, the memory clear as day. Her grandfather’s horrified expression, the way the entire kitchen had filled with smoke–the soup that had turned into a thick, inedible sludge. She grimaced, peeking at Liam between her fingers.

he repeated, clearly amused. “You nearly burnt down the estate

outside his office window was all sleek glass and

assistant continued to rattle off updates. The headache thrumming at his temples

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