Breakfast

Early Morning – Beach Villa Kitchen

Nadia's POV

The villa is still wrapped in soft silence. Outside, waves murmur gently against the shore. Pale morning light filters through sheer curtains, brushing the walls in a warm golden hue.

6:00 AM

The kitchen lights click on with a soft hum.

I'd shuffled in wearing an oversized frock and pajama pants. My hair is tucked under a loose veil. I yawn, stretching like a lazy cat, and barefoot across the cool tiled floor.

Humming softly, lining up the ingredients—eggs, flour, fresh fruits. Every movement is casual and sweet, like she's tending her little morning world.

I cracked an egg. Reaching for the blender—

Thump.

A soft shuffle echoes from the hallway.

I froze, eyes twinkling, as a mischievous smirk spreads across my face.

Suddenly—

"Haaaaaaaah!!" I popped around the corner with my hands up with a spooky face.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"

Elijah jumped with a high-pitched scream, stumbling backward, hands flying up in the air out of fear, phone nearly flying out of his hand.

I burst into laughter as I pulled the biggest prank of the year. How is it so easy to scare such a muscular man?

"Your face—I can't—HAHAHAHA!"

Elijah stood there frozen, hand over his heart, visibly shook,spitting on his own chest.

"Why would you do that?!"

"Sorry, sorry! I heard someone sneaking in. I had to."

"Don't do that again... I get scared easily!" he pouted like a toddler, making exaggerated teary eyes.

Oh God. He is so vulnerable.

I threw a mock salute in response. "Okay Mr. Faint-hearted, I won't."

"I'm not faint-hearted ." He sucked. "What are you even making?"

"Pancakes and smoothie prep!" I responded cheerfully.

He perked up immediately, "I'm helping!"

"Fine, but I'm recording everything. Celebrity chef moment, yes?"

I pulled out my phone and started filming Elijah like a chaotic director. He instantly gets into character.

"Serious chef face, please."

He posed like a master chef… then suddenly made funny faces, "This is how culinary legends are born!"

We both burst out laughing.

Now we're flipping pancakes, tossing fruit in the air, giving dramatic commentary, and doing goofy impressions. The blender roars to life and Elijah pretends it's a monster while I make dramatic gasping sounds. I didn't expect him to be like this towards me.

"Look at this face!" he contorts into a weird squishy expression.

"Waaahhhahaha! What even is that? Rawrrrr!"

I roared like a baby tiger trying to match his energy.

"You look like a scary kitten trying to be fierce!"

We burst into maniacal giggles.

He is so....forget it.

——————————————

Upstairs – Hallway

The peaceful silence is shattered by chaos echoing from below.

Zara peeks her head out of her room, eyes squinting.

Zara:

"Is someone possessed down there?"

Martin (from his doorway):

"Are we under attack?"

Alys, with a messy bun and half-closed eyes, stumbles into the hall.

Alys (groggy):

"Where's the maniac scream coming from!?"

Grace (yawning, rubbing her eyes):

"Wait... is someone laughing?"

The four of them descend the stairs slowly, like cautious campers approaching a haunted cabin.

They peek into the kitchen.

The room appears empty—but messy. Countertops filled with chopped fruit, flour and pancake batter. Like someone was making breakfast.

Just as they turn to whisper—

"Maybe we imagined it…"

BOOM! Out from behind the island leap Nadia and Elijah, faces covered in flour, looking like crazy ghosts.

Together (screaming):

"Khaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!"

Zara, Alys, Martin, and Grace:

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Alys starts praying aloud.

Grace grabs Martin's arm.

Zara drops a spoon.

Martin jumps so high he nearly hits the ceiling.

And in the midst of all the chaos—

Nadia and Elijah double over laughing. Clapping their hand in the air. The phone inside Elijah's shirt pocket was recording everything.

Nadia (gasping for air):

"Oh my—Alys! The prayer—HAHAHA!"

Elijah (cackling):

"Zara's face—SOMEONE FRAME IT!"

Grace (catching her breath):

"You guys are menaces!"

Alys (heart still racing):

"I need... I need food. And therapy."

Nadia sits between Alys and Elijah, as always. Elijah subtly makes sure her chair is clean and places a folded napkin on her plate.

Nadia (playfully):

"Aw, are you trying to bribe the chef?"

Elijah (acting innocent):

"Nooo... I'm just... making sure my Boss doesn't scare me again."

Zara:

"Boss, did you scare Elijah too?"

Elijah (grinning proudly):

"Yeah. I thought she was the corpse bride."

Grace:

"Did you sleep well Boss?"

Nadia (softly, stretching a little):

"Yeah. I had a nice sleep last night."

As they start eating, Nadia quietly places two extra pancakes on Elijah's and Alys' plate and slides over the syrup.

Alys smiled at Nadia like a kid but said nothing.

Elijah blinks at her.

Elijah:

"Uh... why are you feeding me extra?"

Nadia (smirking):

"Because you almost had a heart attack."

Elijah gave Nadia a mischievous side eye.

Martin:

"Whatever this is—it's adorable."

Nadia (stuffing a pancake into her mouth, cheek puffed like a chipmunk):

"Eat your food properly."

Elijah:

"Chew first, then talk, you corpse bride."

They all burst into laughter again.

Cut to: Later that Morning

Everyone is clearing the table together. Rabin and Nadia get into a flour fight while pretending to clean. Zara captures a picture of them mid-flour-swipe.

Zara: "This is going straight to the memory book."

Alys (lighting up with a sudden idea):

"Hey, let's take a group photo here—in the kitchen. Right now!"

Everyone rushes in, some still holding cleaning rags, others covered in pancake crumbs and flour. They huddle tight around the center.

Click.

Alys clicks the first photo—normal smiles.

Click.

Then goofy faces—tongues out, puffed cheeks, bunny ears, peace signs.

Click.

One with Elijah pretending to faint and Nadia holding a spatula like a weapon.

The kitchen bursts again into a chorus of laughter.

—————————

Beach – Late Morning

Nadia's POV

The beach buzzes with lazy joy. Towels, snacks, and beach mats are scattered like a picnic war zone. Waves crash softly in the distance. Sunlight sparkles. Elijah was chewing on his necklace, eyes dreamy. I stared at him with a sly grin as I remembered what happened to him a few years back..

"Wait…hahahahahh Elijah."

He jumped a little, his necklace still in mouth. "Huh?? What—did I do something?!"

"No, no. I just remembered when you bumped your head while getting into the car during that one interview! You acted cool but that bump probably hurt a lot!"

He gasped, "That was an accident!"

I mocked him by puffing my cheeks and widening my eyes. What is it so special about him that he makes my guard fall?

He pouted, "Don't mock my suffering, rude woman."

"Clumsy boy."

"I have no friends. Only enemies disguised as breakfast buddies." he said dramatically.

Everyone chuckled.

I threw a towel at him playfully just as he stood up, brushing sand from his arms.

He stretched, "I'm going to the sea. It's calling me."

Without any warning, he casually took off his shirt—and time slowed.

I froze mid-laugh. My lips parted slightly as my eyes swept on him. His back was broad and strong, every muscle defined like it had been carved with intention. The lines of his shoulders tapered into arms that flexed effortlessly, veins rising faintly under his skin. His pumped chest rose with each slow breath, firm and sculpted, the kind of build that came from discipline. The way the sun light kissed his skin catching on the curve of his collarbone, the faint sheen of sweat on his skin, and the tight ridges of his abdomen that moved with every shift. There was nothing showy or deliberate on how he stood there. And that's what made it worse. He didn't even know he was undoing me with the sight alone. I didn't mean to gasp—but it slipped.

"WOwh..."

Elijah turned halfway just as my voice slipped out. Our eyes met—and my cheeks turned red.

He blinked, caught off guard, then quickly looked away. His cheeks turned red too. He grabbed his shirt and—flustered—put it back on.

He avoided my gaze, "I-It's—"

Which made me even more shy. I shouldn't have ever looked at him, "Wait—why'd you put it back on?"

He sat down beside me again, trying to act normal, but his lips couldn't hide the shy smile pulling at them.

"Someone looked like they would eat me alive. So I panicked."

I turned toward him, biting my bottom lip to keep from smiling too big. "You got shy again?"

Elijah was still avoiding eye contact like a kid. "I did… you looked too stunned."

His words were low, a little too sincere. My smile softened. Our shoulders brushed lightly.

Alys watched the moment with a small smirk, nudging Zara who raised her brows in understanding.

"Hey, kids! Come swim before the sun burns you!" Martin said from the sea asking others to join.

Elijah and I looked away from each other quickly, cheeks warm.

Then we all went in the water maintaining proper distance. After swimming for a while, we headed back to the villa. Everyone got cleaned up and changed. Then, excited and refreshed, we left for the beach side market.