The Darkovs

#17 More Secrets

Milenka watches Mark through the window with her binoculars and smiles. Mark lives above the bakery and Milly could see the most beautiful room in the house. A simple one because they are not rich but it is cozy. The room has a piano and Mark is very virtuous, he loves music and arts.
They both love poetry and both recently entered in a club to read and discuss various poems.
They like literature and classical music. Milenka imagines the beautiful music he must be playing and is interrupted by Melissa.

"Milly, your brother was normal, and then turned into a jerk again."

Milenka doesn't turn around and replies:
"That is normal! If he was just normal, you would have experienced a miracle."

"Anyway, I already know why he does not eat. Less a mystery to me."

Milly turns at Melissa with a strange look on her face and stares at her intently.
"Did he tell you? Like the real reason? Neither I nor Max know that. We just imagine it has something to do with our parents, more precisely to our mother. He was the kitchen helper."

Melissa feels a strange sensation again. Why had he told her something like that? Was it just because she talked about her friend? In fact, she had never spoken of Lily to anyone, even when she was in the orphanage. Of course she had not told the whole story, she didn't say that she had fled the orphanage that very night, that she had been unjustly accused of knowing that her friend was going to kill herself. Melissa didn't tell him about the day she went to court accusing one of the richest boys in the country of raping Lily. She had to change her name and  city because was in danger. Melissa can't live alone without protection and she had fled to the island hoping not only to find a home but to protect herself. The Darkovs are strange people, but united.
If everything goes well, she would be indispensable and would eventually become family. They would protect her. But she is always waiting to be found. Melissa joins Milly and tells what she knows, then adds:
"I'll help him. We'll get back the family recipes."
...

At the next breakfast, Melissa wakes up early to prepare everything. He enters the kitchen and finds Dominic listening to music on the counter and looks intently at an old book.
She sits next to him.
"Good Morning!"

He takes off his headphones and looks at the book seriously.

"This is what I have most precious in my life. Be careful with it."

Melissa is impressed by his loving care. It is not just a book and so she opens it slowly.

"Do you remember what your mom did in the first place?" Melissa asks when looks through the recipe.

"What I remember is that I used to prepare the ingredients and she did the rest."

"So let's do the same." The redhead gets up and puts the apron on.

The prince cuts the ingredients, prepares everything and Melissa tries to do her best.
Dominic acts as a kitchen helper, and without realizing Melissa looks at him with some admiration. He's so quiet! He's so beautiful. With these thoughts, she ends up getting burned on the coffee machine and she screams a little bit.
It frightens Dominic and he cuts himself on his finger.
While arranging a bandage to herself, Dominic puts his finger into the cold water, Melissa laughs. Dominic joins her and when she gets closer to help him, he murmurs:

"What a fine pair we make. Not even in the kitchen we can avoid killing ourselves."

Melissa gives a brilliant smile that makes Dominic very pleased.

"You know, every time I cut my finger my mother, she would give me a little kiss to my boo-boo."

Melissa looks at him who is ridiculous with his raised finger and approaches him with a seductive look:

"Seriously? Where would she kiss you?"

Dominic looks into her cheerful green eyes and then looks to her pink mouth, looks her in the eyes again and thanks:
"Even if it does not work. Thank you so much."

Melissa teases him:

"Another second more and I would have kissed you, but thank God we're back to serious things."

Dominic hits his head in the fridge a few times because he always talks too much.

*****

Will Melissa be able to bring the family recipes back to the royal table? And will she be able to keep her secret?