Vendetta

Chapter 22

The late afternoon sun cast a warm glow over the mansion as Rylan returned earlier than usual. The house was quieter than he expected the usual hustle and bustle subdued and he could hear faint sounds coming from the kitchen. Intrigued, he changed his usual path and headed in that direction.

As he approached the kitchen he could see Aurora through the doorway her back turned to him completely absorbed in her task. She moved gracefully her hands working with a quiet focus as she prepared the meal. The sight of her like this so unguarded and in her element stirred something unfamiliar within him a softening he wasn't accustomed to feeling.

Rylan cleared his throat and Aurora's head snapped up her attention shifting to him immediately. She hadn't expected him to be home so soon.

"You're early" she remarked quickly brushing her hands on her apron "I started on time though" she added almost as if she needed to justify herself.

A smile tugged at Rylan's lips at her hurried explanation "Yes, I came early" he admitted stepping further into the kitchen "I wanted to learn from you Bella your therapy as you call it"

Aurora blinked taken aback "You want to learn cooking?" she asked her surprise evident in her voice. She had never imagined Rylan in the kitchen much less asking to be taught.

"Is there a problem with that?" he asked raising an eyebrow a playful glint in his eyes.

"No, no problem" she replied quickly her initial shock giving way to a smile. She watched as Rylan grabbed an apron the sight of him doing it so casually making her smile widen "Alright Chef what should I do?" he asked with a grin the title rolling off his tongue with an amused lilt.

Aurora couldn't help but laugh softly at his eagerness a sound that felt surprisingly light given everything between them "Okay then" she said handing him a bowl "Mix this up for me"

He took the bowl from her glancing inside to see a combination of ingredients waiting to be blended.

"Simple enough" he muttered to himself as he began to stir. Aurora watched him for a moment a part of her still surprised by this unexpected turn of events.

After dome time Aurora's gaze flickered and she couldn't help the laugh that escaped her. The sight of the usually composed Rylan with batter on his face was too much to resist. She shook her head and her smile widened.

Rylan looked at her and asked "What? "

She just smilled and turned back to her work adding a pinch of spices to the dish she was preparing. When Rylan followed suit carefully measuring out the spices as she had shown him.

"Not too much oky" she warned wrinkling her nose at the strong scent and Rylan nodded his head.

As they continued to work side by side Aurora guided Rylan through the process showing him how to chop vegetables and measure out spices. Their conversation flowed more easily than she had expected the usual tension between them easing as they focused on the task at hand.

"Not bad" Aurora commented tasting the Rylan's work. He had a determined look on his face but there was a hint of pride in his eyes as he glanced back at her.

"I have a good teacher" he replied smoothly, giving her a small, approving nod.

Aurora felt a warmth spread through her at his words something she hadn't felt in a long time. It was strange standing here with Rylan, laughing and talking as if they were just two people cooking dinner together without the weight of their complicated relationship and task hanging over them.

They continued like this exchanging small talk and light-hearted banter as they worked together. Aurora found herself smiling more than she had in days, caught up in the rare moment of normalcy.

She even managed to forget for a while about the darker undertones of their connection allowing herself to simply enjoy the time spent together.

When the meal was finally prepared Rylan looked over at her with a smile that held a mixture of satisfaction and something deeper something more genuine. "I think we make a pretty good team, Bella" he said softly.

Aurora nodded her heart fluttering in her chest "Yes, we do" she agreed though a part of her knew that this was just one fleeting moment in a sea of uncertainty. But for now, she allowed herself to savor it to hold on to the feeling of something real and uncomplicated even if only for a short while.

The lively chatter that had filled the kitchen earlier had now given way to a comfortable silence as Rylan and Aurora sat at the dining table sharing the meal they had prepared together. The clinking of cutlery against plates was the only sound between them the quiet almost soothing in its simplicity.

Aurora found herself lost in thought still processing the strange yet pleasant experience of cooking with Rylan. There was something almost peaceful about this moment something she hadn't expected to find in his presence. But the tranquility was abruptly interrupted when Rylan spoke his voice cutting through the silence "I'm going to Paris tomorrow"

Aurora looked up surprised. His words caught her off guard pulling her from her thoughts "Paris?" she repeated confusion evident in her voice.

Rylan nodded, taking a sip of his wine before continuing "I have a meeting to attend. He paused his gaze steady on her "I was thinking... Would you like to join me?"

Aurora blinked, taken aback by the unexpected invitation. She had never imagined he would want her to accompany him on such a trip "I... I don't know" she stammered unsure of how to respond.

Rylan's eyes narrowed slightly as if he was reading every nuance of her reaction "I insist" he said his tone firm yet not unkind leaving little room for refusal.

Aurora hesitated her mind racing. There was something both intriguing and terrifying about the prospect of going to Paris with him.After a moment she nodded slowly "Okay" she agreed her voice barely above a whisper.

Rylan's expression softened and he gave her a small approving smile "oky than" he said simply as if her agreement had been the expected outcome all along.

They continued their meal in silence but the atmosphere had shifted. Aurora could feel the weight of her decision settling over her the uncertainty of what Paris might bring looming in the back of her mind.Whatever awaited them in Paris she knew one thing for certain nothing would ever be the same after this trip.