"What should I make for dinner?" I quietly asked him.

He lifted his gaze, coldly stared at me, and replied, "You don't need to cook anything. There's enough left from lunch. Heat it up when you're hungry." He turned and walked out of the room.

I was left alone, my mind circling around his words. Why does he always act so cold? What is it about me that makes him keep his distance?

After a while, I decided to go to the kitchen. I left the art room and headed straight for the kitchen to warm up some food. I sat down at the counter, grabbed my phone, and called Taeng, setting it on speakerphone.

"How's the housekeeper?" Taeng asked when he answered.

"Come on, stop it," I replied, smiling even though I knew he was just teasing.

"How's it going with Chak? Has the Ice Man started to melt?"

"He's still the Ice Man," I answered. "But he's starting to melt, slowly." I smiled, recalling the moment when he had looked at the drawing and held onto it.

"I drew something today," I said to Taeng.

"So, what did you draw?" Taeng asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Guess twice," I said, playfully.

"You didn't draw Chak, did you?" Taeng asked, almost as if he already knew.

"You know me too well," I responded.

"And what did he say when you showed it to him?" Taeng asked, sounding genuinely interested.

"He didn't say anything. He just looked at the picture and asked if he could keep it," I told him.

"Hmm, interesting," Taeng said.                  

"But today, Chai—Chak's brother—came by and said that no one who works for Chak has ever been allowed into his house. That I'm the only one he's ever let in. That must mean something." I said to Taeng.

"Interesting," Taeng added, his voice thoughtful. "Maybe he just likes having you around."

"I highly doubt that," I replied.

"Maybe he's found someone he can trust in you," Taeng said.

Maybe, I thought.

Before I could respond, I heard a soft cough. I spin around, startled, and saw Chak standing in the kitchen doorway. His eyes were cold, emotionless, like a frozen glacier. He stood there, arms crossed, staring at me as if he wanted to erase everything between us, to pretend I didn't exist.

"How long have you been standing there?" I asked, though I already knew the answer. His icy gaze didn't change.

Without a word, he walked closer, his movements slow and deliberate. He reached out, and with one swift motion, turned off my phone, ending the call with Taeng. The screen went dark, and the quiet hum of the kitchen filled the space, amplifying the sudden stillness between us.

His cold eyes were still fixed on me, unyielding, as if nothing could reach him. In an emotionless tone, he said, "Remember the contract."

Without another word, he turned and walked away. His footsteps echoed in the empty kitchen as he left.

His footsteps faded. I felt empty. His cold gaze kept appearing in my mind; he looked at me as if I no longer existed for him. What will happen to our friendship? I pushed the food aside, no longer hungry. I stood up and went to my room. I threw myself on the bed and closed my eyes for a moment.

When I gathered myself again, I got up and looked out the window. I saw Chak sitting at the garden table, writing something. I moved away from the window so he wouldn't see me. I grabbed my pajamas and went to take a shower. After I showered and returned to the kitchen, I grabbed a glass of water. While washing the glass, I heard Chak enter the room. Our eyes met. And before I could say anything, Chak asked:

"Who were you talking to about me earlier?"

I slowly breathed in and quietly replied, "With my best friend Taeng."

"Why do you tell him about me?" Chak asked, curious.

I didn't know how to answer. Quietly, I responded, "Because I can tell him everything I'm going through, and he listens."

Chak turned away and said, "But you can't tell me that?"

I didn't know what to say. "I don't know…"

Chak continued, "Tomorrow at 10:00, have your friend come to my office."

"Why?" I raised my voice, surprised by his command.

"Because I'm interested to know if he's truly trustworthy," he replied, with no emotional tone.

And with that, our conversation ended. Confused, I withdrew to my room, grabbed my phone, and texted Taeng that Chak wanted to see him the next day at 10:00 in his office. I sent him the location and said I would wait for him in front of the company.

I put the phone on the nightstand and lay back down in bed. Soon the phone vibrated. It was a message from Taeng: "I'm coming."

I had trouble falling asleep, thinking about what Chak would say to Taeng. The next morning, I woke up and went to the kitchen.

Chak was already sitting at the counter, with ingredients ready for breakfast. "Good morning," I greeted him quietly. "Today, you'll be preparing breakfast with me," he said with his usual cold but slightly overconfident tone.

I nervously nodded and decided to try to cooperate. Chak slowly stood up and came over to me, and I noticed the counter was stocked with eggs, fresh bread, bacon, tomatoes, and spinach. "What exactly are we doing?" I asked, unable to hide my surprise at how prepared he was for such an unexpected task.

"We're making rolled egg wraps with vegetables and bacon. You'll handle the tomatoes, I'll handle the eggs," he quickly replied, smiling as he grabbed the pan.

As Chak started preparing the eggs, I carefully sliced the tomatoes into thin slices. His method was simply perfectionistic, every movement calculated. The spinach began to release its aroma as he added some salt and pepper to the eggs. I took some fresh spinach and carefully added it to the tomatoes.

"Be careful not to overcook the eggs," he said, noticing me watching the pan as it heated up. "The eggs need to be just right so they roll up nicely." 

"Got it," I quietly replied as I continued with my task.

When the egg wraps were ready, Chak carefully placed them on the plate, and there were also some toasted slices of bread on the side. Finally, we set a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice on the table, which smelled fresh and added a nice touch to the breakfast. I also poured myself a strong cup of coffee to complement the meal.

"Will you sit down?" he asked as he began eating.

I smiled and sat down. "Thanks for helping with the preparation," I said quietly, trying to hide the tension in the air.

As we ate, everything was silent. Both of us were too lost in our thoughts, each with a thousand questions running through our heads. I was thinking about what this meeting would mean for Taeng and how it would affect our relationship. He, on the other hand, may have already known that tomorrow would be a decisive day.

Soon, we both finished breakfast, but the tension still hung in the air. Chak stood up and left without a word. I stayed at the table, staring out the window, thinking about what today day would bring. 

In that moment, I knew everything was about to change.

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