Love Me Again

Chapter 17 - Winter's Breath

Chapter 17 - Winter's Breath

"Funny? What is so funny?" Gio asked, his voice betrayed his annoyance.

"You and your dishes are funny. I have to praise you for being able to make me laugh for the first time today."

"Can you elaborate what you mean?" Gio forced himself to ask politely. After all, the other party was still a judge.

"What I mean was, you are pretty good at food presentation, but the taste was far cry from its appearance."

Gio fought not to let his smile slip from his face. "Mr. Donovan's taste is as superior as rumored. I'm already happy that the two judges love my creation."

With, Gio saying that the two other judges were also not pleased with Sean's judgment. Was Sean not indirectly saying there was something wrong with their taste bud?

"I have to praise you again, for not only making me laugh the first time today, but you also managed to make me angry." Sean's smile disappeared completely, his voice was lowly dangerous.

"Donovan, are you saying Gio Aoilos's dishes have serious faults?" Hollock asked with a neutral tone.

"There are no dishes that don't have its faults, just like no humans are truly perfect. But these dishes are not something I could accept from a Royal Hotel's chef."

Why does Ashley feel there was a hidden meaning behind Sean's words?

"Please, enlighten us." Gio's body language clearly challenges Sean to criticize his cooking. If Gio thought he could threaten Sean, he was so badly mistaken.

Sean was a man that does not bode well with threats and challenges. "Let us judge first. I will give you a five for your dishes."

Everyone gasped, including Ashley, only that her gasp was full of joy. She would have stood up and clapped like a mad person if she did not want to continue watching. The other two judges had given Gio full ten marks without hesitation. For Sean to be giving that mark also clearly insulting the other two judges for their judgment.

"Why is it five? I couldn't accept it," Gio said tightly.

"You ask me why?" Sean leaned forward and rested his chin on his crossed fingers, staring at Gio intensely but Gio met his stare without flinching or feeling uncomfortable.

"Yes, I ask you why, because I am confident with my skills. As a judge, you must also give a good reason for your judgment," Gio said, a little too proudly and overconfident.

The two other judges were also in agreement with Gio's words and looked forward to listening to Sean's reason.

The glint that Ashley saw in Sean's eyes caused her to shiver and true to her prediction, his words were harsh.

"Your dishes are bland, tasteless, even worse than a child's cooking. Yet you dared to be confident in your trashy cooking?"

The judges stared at Sean with their eyes nearly popped out while the host was gaping at him.

"Donovan! It's not tasteless!" the Hollock hissed.

"Are you out of your mind?" Mark asked angrily. "What are you trying to do?"

Sean gave both of them a very cold stare, and both men meekly turned their gaze away from Sean. Although each of them was a reputable food critic, their prestige was not as high as Sean's. Even if they were not satisfied with his words, they do not dare to challenge him any further than that.

They still have the audiences that will fight for Gio Aiolos. There was no need for them to do any more than this, or they will offend Sean Donovan.

Sean Donovan was known to be a person that remembers his grudges in the industry.

"I believe I'm still very sane, if not pissed. How could this be called food when I cannot taste any of his emotions? I don't feel his pure happiness of seeing people tasting his dishes or his joy of cooking. All I feel is his lust for fame," Sean said bluntly and the set went deadly silent.

Not even the other two judges said anything against it as if they found nothing wrong with Sean's words.

Ashley had always believed that tasting emotions from food was ridiculous. Sure, she always loved her father's cooking, as it always gave her the feeling of home. She only thought she was just being sentimental.

But was Sean right? She remembers he loved her father's cooking and always made time to have his meals at her family's restaurant.

She also remembers his words when praising her father's cooking, saying it always reminds him of his childhood. Both of them always think that Mr. Summer's cooking reminded them of a warm home that they would want to return to when the day ends.

That was the first time her heart beats for Sean.

What if Sean was really a master of food taster, where she had not truly known the extent of his fame or talent?

Ashley blinked back her tears, willing herself not to cry. She knows she should not, but she could not stop herself from still loving him after all those painful memories and lonely years. Sean was her first love, where she learned many of her first with him.

One would say time will bury feelings, but why could she not do it? Why would her feelings wilfully emerge from the sinking sand as soon as she meets him? She felt as if she was facing a meaningless fight that she could never win.

Gio seemed lost for words; his face deathly pale and Ashley thought for a moment that he would faint, if not for knowing exactly what type of a person he was. If he did, he would only do that to escape from being humiliated further.

But true to his nature, Gio remained stubborn and fought back.

"Ridiculous! I love cooking! If you say I'm only lusting for fame, why don't I be a model or actor? I truly love cooking and seeing their happy and blissful faces when they eat my dishes! It's enough to make me feel loved!" Gio exclaimed, his eyes filled in tears.

That moved the female audiences and they started to make noise.

Sean looked unfazed by the noisy crowd. "You may have felt this way in the beginning, but it no longer exists now. It's a pity to see you going down the wrong path. You could have produced a very delicious dish if you still remained on the right path."

Gio's face flushed in anger. "I don't understand what you are talking about. I believe I'm on the right path, being a chef for the Royal Hotel as proof."

Ashley's breathing was nearly non-existence when Sean grinned, the grin that he always has when he deals the final blow. "Not only is your taste bland, your vision is also narrow. I have to say I am very disappointed with your 'Winter's Breath'. It had too much sugar and more ice than the original. If you want to copy, you should copy better with the correct amount of ingredient."

Everyone gasped and Ashley sucked in a deep breath. Impossible, right? Sean could not have known about the Winter's Breath. She does not remember her dad had ever made it for Sean. Could it be he had done it without her knowing?

Mr. Summer could never resist testing Sean's tongue that could improve his recipe for the better.

"Gio copied the dessert from someone?" Hollock asked with an ugly expression.

Sean sighed wistfully. "I have only tasted it once, but the taste of it was forever craved deep in me. After so many years, he might have improved it. Just thinking about it makes me want to taste it again."

"Who is the original creator?" Hollock asked, his beard shaking.

"You believe him?" Mark asked in disgust. "Donovan, things should not be said without proof!"

"Do you think he would lie about it and tarnish his reputation?" Hollock smiled. "Really, Donovan. It is so rare to see you highly praise a dish. I really wanted to taste the true Winter's breath."

"Don't listen to his lies! Winter's Breath is my original recipe!" Gio exclaimed, a little desperately. There was no way a famous food critic would ever visit that rundown restaurant!

Sean pinned Gio with a hard stare. "You demand proof? Then you will get it. Mr. Summer, please."