Chapter 17 An Unexpectedly Skilled Cook The five of them left Carom Clubs together.
Suddenly, Violetaâs phone rang. It was Niall calling-
âHello, Niall.
Niallâs gentle voice sounded from the phone. âVio, howâs the orientation? Do you like Toland University?â
âOf course, I love it! Violeta replied.
Niall asked, âWhy is it so noisy on your end? Arenât you on campus?â
Zoren snatched the phone before Violeta could answer. âHi, Niall, itâs me. The orientation ended in the afternoon, and we brought Vio to have fun. Weâll be having fondue for dinner after this. Donât worry, I promise to take good care of Vio and bring her back safely.â
Violeta did not have friends when she came to Quinston. Thus, Niall was relieved that Zoren hung out with her. However, he could not resist giving a few warnings.
âYou better not take Vio to questionable places, or elseâ¦
âOh, Niall, I know, I know! I wouldnât dare. Also, itâs not just the two of us. Hayden and the others are also with us. You can rest assured!â
âIs Hayden there too? Okay then. Make sure to bring her home before nine.â
âOkay, got it! Iâll hang up now!â
After a brief chat with Niall, Zoren ended the call and returned the phone to Violeta. âHere you go. All settled!â
Initially, Niall had doubts about Zoren, but when he heard Hayden was with them, he felt at ease. The reason was simple. Hayden was known for being an upright gentleman. As an heir to the Frost family, he was famous among the upper class for his integrity. He avoided any reckless behavior.
Furthermore, Hayden had a unique background, unlike most members of upperâclass society.
Zoren and the other two came from business families. But Haydenâs family was involved in politics. His family was a prestigious political family. The elders in his family were highâranking government officials.
Thus, Haydenâs future was already planned out. Among the four of them, he was the de facto leader.
The Frost family had strict rules, and Haydenâs upbringing forbade him from going to questionable places such as brothels and nightclubs. Therefore, Niall felt at ease knowing Hayden was with them.
Violeta took her phone from Zoren, asking. âWhat did my brother sav Zoren smirked. âHe didnât say much, just that you can hang out with us but must be home by nine. Heâs confident youâre in good hands.â
âReally?â
1 13-26 Wed, 5 Chapter 17 An Unexpectedly Skilled Cook friends Iâm telling the truth. Iâm your cousin. Why wonât you believe me?â
Violeta whispered, âThatâs because youâre unreliable.â
âWhat? What did you say?â
Violeta looked up and smiled. âItâs nothing. Donât worry about it.â
They arrived at the fondue restaurant and reserved a private room.
Zoren was about to sit beside Hayden at their table, but Hayden glanced at him with disdain.
Zoren knew why and immediately turned to Violeta. âVio, you should sit here.â
Violeta had already chosen her seat and was about to sit down. Hearing Zoren, she said, âIâll sit here.
Didnât you want to sit there?â
Zoren went to Violeta, held her shoulder, and guided her to the seat. Just sit here. No need to thank me.â
Once everyone was seated, they began ordering food. The guys took special care of Violeta, asking about her preferences. Violeta listed the dishes she wanted and ordered one each.
âIf itâs not enough, weâll order more later.â
Soon, the food arrived, and they commenced the punishment. Violeta realized they had ordered peculiar dishes.
Jasper instructed the server to cook what Violeta ordered, leaving the peculiar food untouched.
âJasper, you wonât make them eat raw food, right?â
Jasper frowned slightly. âVio, have you heard of the raw food diet? Itâs quite trendy these days.â
Violeta was rendered speechless. She glanced at Zoren with pity and started eating.
She enjoyed dipping sliced steak and chorizo in fondue. Thus, she picked up a slice of chorizo with her fork and dipped it in.
Hayden also picked up a slice of chorizo with his fork and dipped it in the fondue. Then, he placed the cheeseâcoated chorizo on Violetaâs plate.
Violeta turned to Hayden in surprise. âArenât you eating?â
âI donât like spicy food.â
Violeta did not know what to say.
If he doesnât like spicy food, why did he order the extraâspicy fondue?
But Violeta enjoyed spicy food and gladly accepted the food he offered.
13:26 Wed, 5 Jun ti Chapter 17 An Unexpectedly Skilled Cook On the other hand, the other three guys exchanged glances as they watched Hayden piling food on Violetaâs plate. Zoren knew that Hayden had taken a liking to his cousin.
69%é³ Hayden did not eat anything but focused on cooking food in the fondue for her. He was unexpectedly skilled at it. This worked out well for Violeta. She did not have to do anything. Someone cooked for her for free.
At the same time, Violeta quickly understood why they had ordered the extraâspicy fondue. It was to make the losers eat the fondue base.
Jasper scooped some extra spicy fondue base into a bowl and added hot sauce. âEat up.â
Zoren was dumbfounded when the bowl was placed before him. âD*mn it, Jasper, are you serious about this?â
Jasper replied, âOf course! I never joke about such things. If you want to blame someone, blame Vio.
This punishment is her idea. Sheâs determined to make you sick tonight.â
âHahahaâ¦â Jasperâs demonic laughter filled the room.
Violeta could not help but chuckle as she sipped water.
She covered her mouth, but her cheeks were flushed. She said, âZoren, a real man keeps to his word.
Itâs not a big deal. Worse come to worst, youâll have your stomach pumped tonight. Besides, it wonât come to that extreme. Consider your reputation. If you refuse to complete the punishment, who will want to play with you again?â
âDâmn it! Vio, why are you so heartless!â Zoren was shocked. âI thought you would help me plead for mercy. Instead, you added fuel to the fire!â
Violeta blinked innocently. âI advocate for justice, not favoritism!â
Jasper burst into laughter. âHahaha, Violeta, youâre truly one of a kindâ¦.
They were impressed with Violetaâs personality. Other girls they encountered were overly delicate.
Those girls could never take a stance like Violeta. Instead, they would probably burst into tears upon hearing such words.
Violeta continued, âAccording to the gameâs rules, Liam, you must eat it too. Friends should share both blessings and hardships, donât you think?â
âMe?â As far as Liam was concerned, Zoren could take the punishment if he wanted. He refused to be dragged into it.
âSorry, Violeta, even if I want to eat it, I cannot decide. According to the rules, each winner punishes one person. Since Jasper has chosen to punish Zoren, Hade will determine my punishment. Hade, weâve been best friends for almost twenty years. You wonât be so cruel, right?â
Violeta pouted. âWell, too bad. The fondue base is quite tasty.â
After all, she had eaten it before.
13:26 Wed, 5 Jun 14 Rebirth vs. Rebirth: Tragedy to