Claimed And Marked By Her Stepbrother Mates - Chapter 271

Chapter 271: 271-Cooking With The Devils

Helanie:

While I cooked, Maximus stayed beside me. He helped with chopping vegetables and tried to get his hands on the pans. Most of the time, he was kind of in my way. He would excitedly jump whenever he heard what I was doing next.

I never thought of him as being so full of life—full of himself, yes!

That’s when Kaye walked by, saw us working, and decided to step in. His arrival froze us both. He stood tall, hands on his hips. My first thought was that he might disapprove of me cooking for them or call Norman to take over the “dirty” job. I guess my opinion of Kaye was low because, deep down, I was still upset about how things went between us. We were both at fault, though.

“What is going on?” he asked, his eyes shifting between me, my apron, and Maximus—who was also wearing an apron, though in a way that made me feel sorry for him. He’d tied it around his waist, leaving the straps hanging awkwardly, even after seeing me wear mine correctly.

“Helanie is cooking for us tonight,” Maximus responded with a huge smile on his lips. Kaye looked unimpressed at his apron.

He stepped closer and glanced around, his eyes landing on an apron hanging on the wall.

“I’m going to help, too,” he muttered, grabbing the apron to put it on.

I watched him struggle for a bit, holding the straps in the air, his arms stretched wide, his eyes darting around as he tried to figure it out.

“Put these behind,” I gestured, but Kaye still seemed clueless.

“There are simpler ones in the shop. Why do you guys pick the most complicated ones?” Kaye grumbled, trying to get it right.

“It’s not rocket science, Kaye. Just do it the way I did,” Maximus shrugged, giving his brother a look for complaining about something so trivial. I glanced at Maximus and stifled a laugh.

“You’re not wearing it correctly either, Maximus,” I pointed out, cracking eggs into a bowl.

“Huh?” Maximus sounded genuinely shocked, as if he hadn’t realized it. “But we can wear it like this too. You don’t know anything—I do. Kaye, wear it like I did,” he urged, passing his “expert” advice to his brother.

Kaye quickly handed the apron to Maximus, who claimed to know better. The two clowns stood to the side, arguing and “helping” each other, before eventually coming back to ruin my progress.

“What is this white stuff?” Kaye asked, extending his hand over my head. I didn’t see it until I lifted my head and accidentally hit his arm.

The bowl he was holding slipped from his hands, and the flour spilled all over the floor.

“Ugh!” I turned to him, scolding, “Can’t you stand on that side like him?” I yelled, pointing at Maximus, who was quietly engrossed in cutting fruits into smaller, similar sizes. That task had worked because he was focused and silent.

“I’m sorry, but give me something to do,” Kaye muttered, avoiding my eyes.

“You’ve got to clean the floor now,” I pointed to the mess on the floor. Without any argument, he agreed.

The kitchen’s dynamic had shifted, and even the mood felt different now. I was enjoying cooking again. It reminded me of my childhood, though thankfully, the sadness didn’t linger long because Kaye was now on a mission to clean everything.

“Stop it! I’m still using that,” I heard Maximus complain. I briefly turned to check on them. Kaye, holding a paper towel, was cleaning every little thing Maximus dropped.

“Ugh! Get him off my table,” Maximus cried out for help.

“No way!” I stood straight again, refusing to redirect Kaye’s attention. I didn’t want him back at my station, so it was good that Maximus had his full focus.

They bickered the entire time. Later, I assigned them both the task of cutting vegetables—anything to keep them busy.

I swear, they made me realize how hard it must be to cook with two kids. Especially ones as hyperactive as them.

We cooked for some time, and finally, the food was ready. The two, who had done the least amount of work, looked the messiest. Kaye had flour in his hair and even on his face. Maximus wasn’t any better. Because of them, I ended up with some flour in my hair too.

I had to shower and get ready while the maids served the food.

Wearing a pink dress—another one of Lamar’s picks—I walked out with my hair still wet. I had only towel-dried it before joining everyone for dinner because the maid had informed me that they were waiting for me.

Everyone was already seated at the table when I arrived. Lord McQuoid gestured for everyone to begin eating.

Maximus and Kaye had also changed into clean shirts. Norman, who was holding a file, set it aside once the food was served and turned his attention to his plate.

I watched as everyone started filling their plates.

Charlotte and Emma hadn’t joined us. I heard they made up an excuse about not feeling well. Lord McQuoid and my mother had just returned from a party, so they were probably unaware of what had happened.

My mother gave me a quick glance, her mood souring the moment she saw me. Sometimes, it felt like she tried her best to forget I existed. So whenever I happened to catch her attention, she looked shocked at first, then exhausted.

“How was your day, Helanie?” Lord McQuoid asked, tilting his head slightly toward my mother. I could feel the tension between them whenever he spoke to me.

“It was great, thank you for asking,” I replied, grateful that he always made an effort to include me in the conversations and even asked about my day.

My eyes wandered to Emmet next, who was excitedly examining the food.

Emmet was the first to fill his plate. My heart started to race as I wondered if I still had what it took to impress him—and everyone else—with my cooking.