The private room of the hotel was quiet except for the clinking of glasses and the low hum of the city outside.
Across from Avery sat a broad-shouldered man with a sharp jawline and neatly groomed blond beard. His blue eyes were calculating yet warm when he spoke.
"Mr. Cheng," he said, his German accent crisp but smooth. "The last time I saw you, you stood in a hall filled with wolves and did not flinch. I remember thinking, this is a man who will not bow to anyone. That confidence,very few Alphas wear it so naturally."
Avery allowed himself the faintest smirk. "Confidence without results is meaningless, Mr. Weber. But I thank you for the compliment."
"Wilhelm Weber," the man introduced properly, extending his hand again as if sealing an invisible deal. "My company supplies materials for large-scale housing developments across Europe. Germany, Austria, Switzerland, we are the backbone of the industry. But it is time we step into Asia. China is the first gate. I want to work with you."
Avery leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharp. "Then you'll need more than confidence. You'll need a partner who understands the market here."
Weber chuckled, clearly enjoying Avery's assertiveness. "Which is why I am interested. But I will need to see something more tangible. A plan. If your company can show steady growth, say within six months, then you will be the exclusive receiver of my supplies in China."
The weight of those words settled between them. Avery's mind was already racing through numbers, projections, and the network he had built in the shadows all these years.
"Six months," Avery repeated, his voice calm despite the pressure. "That is not long."
"It is not," Weber admitted, "but the world does not wait for the unprepared."
For four hours, the two men dissected numbers, discussed logistics, and built the framework of an agreement that could either elevate Avery's hidden company to new heights or crush him under impossible expectations.
By the end, they stood and shook hands firmly.
"Prove yourself, Cheng," Weber said with a grin. "I look forward to seeing what you build."
_________
That evening, the air in Avery's penthouse was softer. He had returned with a rare trace of light in his eyes. For the first time in weeks, he felt as though the horizon wasn't just storm clouds.
While he took a long shower, Noël was in the kitchen. The clock ticked past lunch, but he didn't mind. Today felt different. Avery had left in the morning carrying the weight of the world, and Noël wanted him to return to warmth, to comfort, to something that felt like home.
He scanned the shelves and picked out a recipe he had once seen in a chef's book at school: braised beef in red wine with handmade pasta. Complicated, yes. Risky, yes. But if he could pull it off… Avery would smile.
The kitchen filled with the scent of searing garlic and simmering sauce when Jay wandered in, his presence as casual as if he had always belonged there.
"What's cooking?" he asked, leaning against the counter with his usual lazy charm.
Noël blinked, startled. "Ah—Jay. I didn't hear you come in. I'm… trying something new today."
Jay tilted his head, eyes flicking over the array of ingredients. "Looks fancy. You're not just cooking, you're putting your heart into this one."
Noël gave a shy smile, stirring the pot. "Maybe. I just… want to make today feel special. Avery has been under pressure lately. If I can do something small to make him happy, then…"
Jay cut in smoothly, "You're always thinking of him, huh?" His voice carried an undercurrent of something more than curiosity, though his smile remained friendly. "You know, I've always thought cooking was… unnecessary work. But maybe I was wrong. Maybe it's… kind of beautiful."
Noël chuckled lightly, glancing at him. "You? Interested in cooking?"
Jay shrugged, sliding closer to the counter. "Why not? Teach me something. If it makes you happy, maybe I'll learn a thing or two."
Noël hesitated, torn between amusement and suspicion. "Cooking isn't just mixing things together. It takes patience, practice, care. Are you sure you want to try?"
Jay grinned, leaning in just enough to test the waters. "If you're the teacher, I don't mind being patient."
The words caught Noël off guard. He quickly turned back to the pan, cheeks warming slightly—not out of attraction, but out of unease. He didn't know what Jay was aiming for, but the man's sudden friendliness felt… deliberate.
Still, he handed Jay a knife and a pile of vegetables. "Fine. Chop these evenly. Not too thick, not too thin."
Jay took the knife with a smirk. "Evenly, huh? Let's see if I can impress the chef."
The sound of chopping filled the air, uneven at first, then steadier as Jay tried to match Noël's rhythm.
Noël glanced at him, then back at his sauce. "Cooking isn't about impressing anyone. It's about… making someone feel cared for."
Jay's gaze lingered on him, sharp despite the casual tone. "And who do you want to make feel cared for, Noël?"
Noël paused, wooden spoon in hand. His voice came out softer than he intended. "…Avery."
For a moment, Jay's knife stilled. His smile didn't falter, but something in his eyes darkened.
"Of course," Jay said lightly, resuming his chopping. "Avery again."
Jay's chopping skills were the worst Noël had seen in a while. He stared at the uneven pile of onions on the cutting board, half of them resembling thick chunks while the other half were diced into crumbs.
"I told you not too thin and not too thick," Noël said, pressing his palm against his forehead in disbelief. "How come some are whole chunks and the others are as tiny as ants?"
Jay blinked at the board, genuinely confused. "You told me to chop the onion, so I did. Isn't this… chopped?"
Noël let out a heavy sigh and reached over to take the knife away. "Maybe chopping things isn't your strength. Just wash the rice before you hurt yourself."
"Rice? Easy," Jay replied quickly, eager to redeem himself. He carried the bowl of rice to the sink, poured water into it, and then swirled his hand around dramatically as if performing a magic trick. "See? I'm practically a professional."
Noël turned his head at the strange sight and nearly choked. "What are you doing?"
"Washing the rice," Jay said innocently, splashing more water around.
"You don't scrub the rice like it's dirty laundry!" Noël exclaimed, hurrying over. "You rinse it gently. Gently, Jay. It's not that complicated."
Jay grinned, clearly enjoying how exasperated Noël looked. "So… you're saying rice is more delicate than I am?"
"Much more," Noël said flatly, shaking his head.
Jay chuckled and leaned against the counter, asking question after question. "How many times do you rinse? Why does the water turn cloudy? What happens if you don't rinse it enough? Will it explode?"
Noël turned to glare at him. "It won't explode. You'll just ruin the texture. Stop asking ridiculous questions and focus."
"But you answer them so seriously," Jay teased, flashing a boyish smile.
Noël muttered under his breath, "Feels like I'm teaching a kindergartener…"
Thanks to Jay's interference, the cooking was dragging on far longer than usual. Avery, who had been buried in paperwork in his office upstairs, noticed his stomach grumbling. When lunchtime passed with no call, he finally came down to the living room.
The sound of laughter caught him off guard. He froze near the doorway, his eyes falling on the scene in the kitchen: Jay standing beside Noël, sleeves rolled up and rice dripping down his arm as he cracked another joke, while Noël laughed despite trying to suppress it.
For a moment, Avery simply stood there in silence. Since when did they get along so well? His first instinct was suspicion, but the sight of Noël smiling so brightly softened the knot in his chest. At least there was peace, even if it was an odd pairing.
After watching quietly for about ten minutes, Avery finally decided to step inside. His footsteps drew Noël's attention.
"Oh, Avery," Noël said, a little startled. "You're here. The food isn't ready yet."
"I can see that," Avery replied, raising a brow. He glanced at the mess of onion skins, splattered rice water, and Jay's smirk. "What's going on in here?"
"I'm teaching Jay how to cook," Noël explained, though his tone suggested it was more like "suffering through teaching Jay how to cook."
Jay puffed his chest proudly. "And I'm a fast learner. Look, I can rinse rice now without flooding the entire kitchen!" He tilted the bowl to prove it, nearly spilling water onto the counter.
"Fast learner?" Noël muttered. "That's debatable."
Avery chuckled under his breath and leaned against the counter. "I suppose I'll just sit and watch then."
"Please do," Noël said quickly. "I don't think I can handle two students at once."
Avery smirked at that and took a seat, folding his arms as he watched them continue. The atmosphere felt lighter than it had in days, and despite himself, he found it strangely comforting.
Finally, after another half hour of chopping, rinsing, stirring, and correcting Jay's constant mistakes, the table was set. Noël placed the last dish down with a satisfied sigh.
"It's done," he announced. "Everyone, sit."
The three of them gathered around the table. The smell of spices and freshly cooked food filled the room, making Avery's stomach growl louder. He took the first bite and paused.
Noël immediately leaned forward, eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Well? Is it okay? I mean, Jay helped today, so… just making sure it's edible."
Jay gasped in mock offense. "Excuse me? I contributed greatly to this meal! My rice-washing skills are unmatched!"
Avery took his time chewing before setting his chopsticks down. He looked at Noël, then at Jay, before finally allowing a faint smile to slip across his lips. "It's very good. Really. You both did a good job."
Noël relaxed visibly, letting out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "Good. I was worried it might taste strange because of… well, you know." He shot Jay a side-eye.
Jay, undeterred, grinned brightly. "So, Avery, did you hear that? We're a great team. Maybe I should cook with Noël more often."
Avery's gaze sharpened slightly at the remark, but he kept his tone calm. "Perhaps. As long as Noël doesn't lose his patience in the process."
"That's already happening," Noël muttered, though there was a hint of amusement in his voice.
The three of them ate together, laughter and conversation bouncing around the table.
But deep down, Avery couldn't shake the thought that Jay's sudden closeness to Noël wasn't as innocent as it appeared.