His Private Chef (by Amycee) novel Chapter 88

“Why does it hurt this much?” I choked out. “He says he loves me now. Can you believe it?”

She pressed a soft kiss to my hair. “And you love him too,” she whispered. “But love and timing don’t always show up together. Give it time, Em. Whatever’s meant for you… will find its way back.”

It had been a month since I buried myself in the intensity of my final year, hoping the pressure of deadlines and the heat of stainless steel kitchens could numb everything I still felt for Liam Black.

It worked.

Sort of.

Chef Conrad Wells was another story.

“Strict” would’ve been generous. “Ruthless” came closer. But if I was being honest, it was personal. .

He didn’t just critique, he scrutinized. Didn’t just instruct, he hovered. Every move I made, every stir, every garnish, his eyes were there, sharp and waiting, like he wanted me to break.

He made me redo a demi–glace three times during a lunch rush.

He swapped my partners so often I could never find rhythm. Gave me the toughest meat cuts. Marked me down for presentation issues others got away with.

At first, I thought I was imagining it. Maybe I’d forgotten how to take criticism.

But deep down, I knew the truth.

This had everything to do with Liam.

Maybe he’d seen the gossip blogs. The viral clips. The headlines that once plastered my face everywhere, the one girl dating Liam Black.

He had a problem with Liam.

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Chapter 88

288 Vouchers

And I was just the collateral damage.

By the time I returned to my dorm that evening, I was done pretending I didn’t feel it. The weight. The resentment. The unfairness.

I dropped onto my bed, still wearing my kitchen coat, reeking of sweat and shallots, when my phone buzzed with Sophia’s name.

I didn’t let it ring twice. “Please tell me this is the call where you fake my death and fly me to an island with no screaming chefs.”

Her soft laugh crackled through the speaker. “You sound terrible.”

“I feel worse.”

She paused. “Tell me what’s going on.”

“It’s my head chef. Conrad Wells. I swear he’s on a mission to destroy me. Not my grades. Me.” I exhaled. “It’s not kitchen stress. It’s something deeper. I can feel it. The way he looks at me… like I’m not a student to him, just a reminder of someone he hates..”

Sophia was silent.

I bit my lip. “He’s punishing me for Liam.”

There it was. Finally said out loud.

The truth tasted metallic.

“I could talk to someone,” she offered gently.

“No. That would make it worse. I just… needed to say it before I forgot how to breathe.”

Her voice broke. “I’m sorry,

“So am I.”

Em.”

Because she was his sister. And I’d loved her like my own. Still did.

We both carried scars from the same man. In different shapes.

“I’ll be fine,” I added, even though we both knew I was lying.

But the next morning, I woke up with something sharper than pain.

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Chapter 88

288 Vouchers

Resolve.

I couldn’t spend the rest of this program being someone’s scapegoat. I had come here to rebuild, not be slowly dismantled.

So I dressed, smoothed my apron, and headed to the administration wing. Each step echoed through the hallway like it was daring me to turn back.

I didn’t.

Just as I reached for Chef Wells‘ door, ready to confront whatever storm waited inside, it

swung open.

And Liam walked out.

My hand dropped.

Time folded in on itself.

He looked… different. Paler. Hardened. Exhausted. His shoulders tense, jaw tight, like he’d been holding back a scream for weeks.

His whole face softened. The tension melted away like ink in water. His eyes lingered on me, slowly, like he was watching a memory come to life.

“Emily,” he said, barely a whisper.

I stood frozen. My stomach clenched so hard I nearly forgot how to breathe.

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