Bentley's POV
The contest yielded greater results than I expected; cooks from around the globe hopped on the challenge, causing its explosion on the internet.

I had been away for so long that giving my audience something exciting to occupy themselves with sounded like something Damian would advise me to do. Impressed by most of the videos, there was a tie for second and third positions; we were to shoot the first video next week.

I darted to the unknown number calling my phone. "Hello?"

"Good day. Am I speaking with Mr. Kai?" a man's voice came through.

"Yeah."

"I'm calling on behalf of The Sizzle Kitchen Show, and we are interested in sponsoring your contest videos."

"Ah... thank you for reaching out. Could you give me some time to consider your proposal? I’ll get back to you."

"Of course. Thank you for your response. We appreciate your consideration and look forward to hearing from you."

"Yeah, bye," I replied before he hung up.

Dazed by the unexpected call—The Sizzle Kitchen Show is one of the most popular cooking shows, and they wish to collaborate with me.
I adored the show as a kid and dreamed of being invited. As an adult, I still watch their videos in my free time. Was there anything left to think about?

Dialing the number back, I said,
"Hello, I accept your proposal. It's a pleasure working with you."

"Hello! Thank you for accepting our proposal. We're delighted to have the opportunity to work with you and look forward to a tremendous collaboration."

"Thank you. Um, it's somewhat embarrassing to say this is my first collaboration. Do we communicate through emails or phone calls?"

"We're honored to be the first. We'll be using both. Is that fine with you?"

"Yes, thank you."

"We should be the ones thanking you. We'll elaborate on the details. Have a nice day. Goodbye."

"Goodbye," I answered, smiling. The air smelled of success and stardom. My dreams were gradually turning into reality.

Sniffing out the contrasting odor awakening me from my daydream, I turned back to Brittany laughing, my gaze narrowing to her diaper.

"When did you wake up, sunshine?" Twisting my body to face her fully, I pulled the fastener tape, cleaned her with baby wipes, and put on a new one.

Brittany slowly turned onto her belly, crawling to grab the toy she’d been playing with before she slept. Chewing on her teething toy in a sitting position, I pulled the pillows to surround the edge of the bed.

Holding my nose, I picked up the soiled diaper and tossed it into the wastebasket by the corner. Looking over my shoulder, her large, brown, starry eyes stared at me. I collected the basket, hesitant to go outside.

"Just a few seconds, and you’ll be back. She’ll be fine," I said inwardly, taking a deep breath and briskly walking to dispose of it.

Walking back to the house, I paused, darting to my neighbor's house. "Mia?" I squinted.

"Hey, Bentley!" she waved.

"What are you doing there? You know my neighbor?"

She pulled her headset to rest around her neck. "I live here during the holidays. My graduation's this week, so you’ll be seeing me more often."

My mouth fell open, and then I smiled. "You’re my neighbor?"

Mia inhaled with widened eyes. "That's your house?"

I replied with a nod, my eyes following her sprint through the gates and into my compound.

"This is crazy!" she beamed, punching my shoulder hard. "We’re going to have so much fun!" Mia glimpsed at me, her gaze landing on my hand. "What's that?"

"Nothing," I said, flinging it into the trash. My eyes traveled to the bag in her hand. "You just got back from campus?"

"Yeah," she sighed tiredly.

"Come in. I should have food you can eat," I said, leading her into the house.

"Thanks, I’m starving. Did you hear my stomach grumble when you mentioned the 'F' word?"

I gave her a side-eye. "It’s food. Don’t call it the 'F' word—that's weird."

"You said it again," she sighed, hitting me lightly.

Leaving our shoes outside, we entered the room. I led her into the kitchen and heated the meal she chose in the microwave.

"When it’s done, you can check the fridge for any drink you’d like. I’ll be in the room," I said, hurrying back.

"Don't eat that," I said, pulling the pillow away from Brittany's mouth and raising her to my shoulder. "Are you hungry? Hm?" I asked, nibbling on her cheeks.

Mia walked in with a plate and cup in hand, settling on a chair and impatiently shoveling food into her mouth.

"How's your relationship with Damian going? I thought you both were living together," she said between bites.

"It's complicated," I answered, grabbing the stroller.

"I'm all ears," Mia said, turning her chair and gasping at Brittany in my hand. "Aww, whose baby is that?"

"Mine," I replied, gently placing her in it with the belt fastened.

She laughed. "I’m serious."

I exhaled, grabbing her bowl and the baby formula. "I am too. Brittany's my daughter. Can’t you see the resemblance?"

Mia jumped from her seat to stand in front of my baby, staring like an owl at midnight. "I see it now," she muttered.

"Good. Could you move now? You’ll scare her if you keep doing that."

"Oh, sorry," Mia giggled, shifting to the side. I rolled the stroller close to the bed, and she trailed behind me quietly.

Sitting by the edge, I blew on the scooped spoon and fed it to her.

Mia moved closer for a second glance. "She’s cute. May I feed her?"

"No, I don’t trust you with feeding, but you may play with her."

Mia blinked twice, her lips partially open. "Wow, I’m currently speaking with Papa Brittany, not Bentley."

"Correct," I nodded, feeding the last spoon, then holding the water bottle for her to suck on.

Mia took a short pause before asking, "Does Damian know about her?"

My lips came in a straight line. "No."

Author's note:
Hi, daily update resumes today! Thanks for your patience. ❤️