The Way Back | ✓

5.5

note: an update within 4 days of the last one! I'm on a roll! I just finished this chapter and I was too excited to keep it till this weekend so here it is! The updating schedule will return to once every weekend but when I've managed to stock a sufficient amount of chapters (July nano is coming up whoop whoop!) I'll be updating twice/thrice a week. I'll let you guys know the updating schedule then. For now, it's once every weekend. 

Enjoy the chapter and please don't hesitate to drop your thoughts in the comments xx 

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London Liang knew she was way in over her head but nothing could deter her confidence that Monday morning.

The feeling that she could conquer the world was at its height. She felt the confidence coursing through her veins, and perhaps that was why she woke up early at Andrew's place, kissed his forehead before picking up her clothes, putting them on and heading back home to put together an outfit that screamed she was the woman in charge.

That morning she strode into work, her outfit classed out, appearing before the head chef with a level head. "Gabby," she began evenly, "Good morning."

Gabriella's eyebrows rose, confusion clearly written on her face. It was not unusual for the staff to dress up but London had never bothered putting much effort into her choice of clothing knowing that she'd have to change into black trousers and put on a white apron that would cover her outfit.

"London," her boss greeted her. "You're early today."

"Yes," she breathed, her confidence beginning to waver under Gabriella's scrutinizing gaze. "I thought I should be more invested in this restaurant if I dreamed of making it to head chef."

Gabriella's eyebrows rose in question, a smile of amusement itching on her thin lips. "Any plans to overthrow me?"

There it was — London's mistake of the day. This was not how she envisioned this talk going. For one, London wanted to pull her boss to a corner to talk about everything but they stood in front of the large counter, the boss buttoning up her chef's jacket. Her intention was never for Gabriella to misunderstand her but that already happened. She needed to pick her words more wisely.

"That's not what I mean. I'd like to be a head chef one day, yes. Not here. That's your place," London said, pausing to try and think of a way she was going to approach this topic. Minutes ago her confidence was on cloud 9, so high up in the skies that she didn't think she'd see the ground so soon and now, minutes later after her confidence boost, she found herself face-first with the ground.

Before London could get another word in, Gabriella was already grabbing an apron from the hanger that was at the entrance of the kitchen and throwing it at London. "Thanks for coming in early. It's a big day today and we're doing something different," her boss said, not sparing a glance at London as she reached forward and clumsily missed catching the apron.

Thankful that her boss' back was to her, she scrambled to pick up the apron from the floor. Gabriella turned around when London scrambled back to her feet, flushed with the embarrassment of almost being caught looking utterly stupid.

"What's the special occasion?" London questioned meekly as she went to the back of the kitchen where the kitchen staff put their bags away. She draped the apron over her neck and tied it firmly around her waist as she re-entered the main kitchen.

Gabriella beamed. "I'll let that be a surprise. Now get to work. I've got up ingredients over the counter. Get them sorted out and tell the others to do the same once they get in."