In the dining area, Jake and Ana were sitting in front of each other. Ana had an excited gaze fixed on Jake as she waited for him to take the first bite and let her know his views about the taste.

"Wow, Ana!! This is delicious." Ana's eyes widened as Jake appreciated her food while stuffing his mouth. He had his eyes closed as he devoured the food, enjoying the taste.

"You really liked this?" Ana asked excitedly, a smile forming on her lips. She quickly took the knife and fork and cut a piece of steak before eating it. She was feeling delighted would be an understatement.

This was what happiness looked like to her. Just like her mother, she enjoyed cooking, especially for her loved ones. And nothing could make her happier than the appreciation she received from those who enjoyed her cooking.

Jake enjoyed the first bite and then opened his eyes, noticing Ana smiling while eating. A smile formed on his lips too; however, he quickly hid his emotions and commented, "I'm not joking, girl. My six-pack abs would be transformed into family-pack abs if I continued to eat such fantastic food on a daily basis."

Ana glanced at Jake's face and quickly burst out laughing at his remark. Soon, Jake couldn't help but let out a laugh as well. Okay, he was being silly, but if Ana smiled at his words, he wouldn't mind being silly all the time around her.

After lunch, Jake smiled as he made his way towards his office. He couldn't help but recall the smile on Ana's face when he appreciated her cooking. The way her heart-shaped pink lips widened, showcasing her pearly white teeth, and the way she shyly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear made his heart flutter. He loved everything about her, and his heart melted in her presence.

"How was your date?" John asked his friend teasingly, who was smiling like an idiot when he entered the office. "Grea- What?" Jake cleared his throat and came out of his thoughts.

"What are you talking about?" When John noticed Jake's serious expressions, he chuckled and remarked, "You're so smitten by her. Dude, it's written on your face. Just accept it already."

"How was it?" Jake inquired solemnly, ignoring his friend's comments. He cleared his throat so as not to blush at what John said because it was true.

John sighed at the question. He recalled how tough it was to handle Austin. He spent less than an hour in the CEO's office, but it felt tough for him to be inside the enclosed space where he couldn't cry and instead had to act stronger for his friend. "He loved the food. However, he later vomited out everything. He was crying, bro. Seeing him in that state makes me so sad."

Jake couldn't even imagine how tough it must be for John. He had always known that it was tough for John to act like a tough and responsible guy in their friendship. Jake was always the one to play the role of a responsible person. And he surely felt bad to put the youngest one in this position, but he had to do it. He had to do it for Austin.

He wanted to hug John at the moment, but he decided against it. Because if he did so, it wouldn't take John a second to break down, and for now, he wanted both of them to act stronger and be positive for the sake of their friend. They had to hold on to their worries and emotions for Austin, who relied on them.

Jake spoke enthusiastically to cheer up the younger. "We all know it's psychological. It is going to take some time. We shouldn't force him more."

"I know." John let out a sigh. "Let's just hope the following days bring some positivity."

"He will get better. I assure you." Jake patted his shoulder and smiled reassuringly.

"Okay then, give this tiffin box to Ana. I'll take a leave." After putting the tiffin on the table, he walked towards the door.

Jake watched the retreating figure and sighed when he noticed the slumped shoulders of John as he walked. His walk was always confident as he held his head up high. It seemed like he needed some time to get a grip on the situation they were in.

He grabbed the box and walked towards Ana's cabin. He was about to enter, but he remembered how Austin must have kept his laptop open while keeping a close eye on Ana. Or more like ears.

And that was the reason why he knocked and asked Ana to step out of the cabin. He handed her the lunch box, and Ana was confused as to why he didn't come inside the cabin if this was the only reason for him to get there. She even questioned and made fun of Jake for acting weirdly, but he just smiled awkwardly.

Ana quickly realised that she was being a bit too much. They might have had lunch together some minutes ago, but they were not yet that close for her to get too comfortable with him.

Since the silence was uncomfortable, she changed the topic hastily. "By the way, did he like the food?"

"He loved it," Jake commented, showing his genuine smile.

"I'm so glad," Ana spoke, and she smiled stupidly as she looked down, daydreaming about John's smile that he must have had after taking the first bite.

Jake continued to observe the expressions on Ana's face. First, he chuckled at her cute expressions. However, when reality hit him, his nose scrunched. He could make out that her behaviour had everything to do with her thoughts about John. "Okay, stop smiling. You look ugly with that smile. Get in quick before someone thinks you're insane."

"Are you jealous?"

Jake coughed in response to Ana's question as his heart began thumping. Ana had caught him off guard, he thought. "W-why woul-"

"Because John could eat in his office while you had to walk to the dining area."

Jake heaved a sigh of relief. "A little. Anyway, goodbye. I need to work." With that, he turned and dashed away.

Ana murmured, "What a weird guy! Anyway, Ana, you did a fantastic job. Step one is cleared. I'll have to thank my mom for her boring lessons. Those are helping now, for sure." She smiled and shrugged her shoulders, watching Jake walk away. She stepped inside the cabin, staring lovingly at the box in her hand.

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

The day passed faster than usual. Ana was in her car when she called Jenny. She began ranting about her day and how happy she was because her crush ate her food, and she was looking forward to waking up early and cooking food every day. Also, she told her to come and stay with her for a few days as her brother was staying at his friend's place and her father would get home late at night. And who was Jenny to deny? She always looked forward to meeting Ana.

Ana was like a colourful butterfly in Jenny's life. Her lively nature spread happiness in the elder's life. And that was how she ended up with a suitcase at Ana's house.

On stepping inside the room, she noticed Ana crying while holding her leg. When she asked, Jenny learnt that Ana's leg got stuck beneath the carpet as she was about to reach her bed, and she tumbled down on her buttocks, spraining her ankle.

Jenny was done with Ana's clumsiness. Since the time she met a few years ago, she noticed how the younger one would either break things or break herself. And she would feel frustrated, but her care for Ana would get the best of her, and so she would end up taking care of her.

It wasn't Jenny's fault though. She was the only one who knew her story— the story that Ana never shared with anyone. And the fact that she lost her mother when she was young made Jenny pity her. In due course, she couldn't help but feel herself babying Ana.

Coming back to the injured Ana, Jenny took the weeping girl to the hospital and returned after an hour. Ana was instructed not to apply any pressure to her right leg as she had sprained her ankle, and now her leg was bandaged for almost three weeks.

Jenny wanted to shout at her, seeing Ana unable to walk by herself. However, the way she would hiss while trying to walk with the help of the elder would make her shake her head in dismay. Also the reason why she decided against yelling at her.

After taking medicine, both of them lay in Ana's bed after changing. Ana again began sharing how Jake said that John loved her food and how she enjoyed having lunch with Jake. Jenny could clearly see the happiness in her sparkling eyes, which made her smile in return.

Jenny was glad Ana began making new friends besides her and Stacy. She could make out that the two aforementioned guys were nice. She was sure their company would do her good.

She was also relieved that she wasn't following her brother's orders. She was aware he loved Ana, but his possessiveness continued to bother Jenny.

Now the only thing Jenny was hoping for was for Ana to start dating. She was away from that phase of her life all these years. She simply wanted her to experience everything in life and grow as a person. She also wanted her to enjoy her life to the fullest, rather than obsessing over her mother's m-

Ana shook Jenny's shoulder, inquiring, "Where are you lost?"

"Huh?" Jenny asked back. She noticed that she was lost in her thoughts for too long, which might be the reason why Ana had a concerned look on her face. She quickly pulled a smile to her face and said, "Oh, nowhere. Let's sleep now."

How is the storyline developing? Enjoying it?