"Wait a minute, Bella made a whole bunch of tarts, how cthere's only few of them here?"
Louisa had barely finished her sentence when the chef brought out another cheese tarts. She quickly snatched up three and was
about to go for a fourth when the plate was wiped clean.
"You bunch of pirates!"
David was fuming; he hadn't managed to get his hands on a single tart since the meal started. Before he could vent his frustration,
the chef arrived with another plate. As soon as it hit the table, everyone dove in.
"Those aren't made by Bella, are they?"
"Who made these ugly tarts?"
Everyone withdrew their forks simultaneously, not a single tart taken, their faces filled with distaste.
"These are made by David."
The chef's revelation drew everyone's gaze towards David. If they heard right, David himself had called his own tarts ugly and was
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtthe first to pull back his fork.
Out of everyone, only Arabella reached out, took a tart, and took a bite. "Not bad, tastes good."
"Bella, you don’t have to force yourself."
"They're a hot mess. How can you even eat that.?"
"If they were salvageable, the chef wouldn't have brought them out like this. That means even the chef couldn't save these."
"Seriously, they're good." Arabella urged everyone to give them a try.
Out of respect for Arabella, the others considered trying one, but in the next second, the chef cout with another plate, making
a point to mention, "These are made by Ms. Bella."
The scramble began anew.
The older brothers watched in disbelief as plates were cleared in seconds. They never imagined their elders could be so fierce in
the battle for food.
Eventually, the meal ended amidst the chaos.
In contrast, Serena's situation was much more subdued.
She ate the gingerbread house Martin had made for her alone, checking the new smartphone he bought her. Just as she logged
into Facebook, she saw her brothers had all updated their page.
Hans: The taste of home.
Chasel: My sister, the crafty one.
Clark: My sister's cheese tarts are just too delicious.
Sean: My sister made these! Everyone, give her spraise!
David: Not only do my sister's cheese tarts look great, they're super tasty too!
Each brother posted pictures, with David also sharing a short video.
Hans' post featured a close-up of the tarts. It was clear that Arabella was skilled at making various intricate tarts.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm
Chasel's photo showed the tarts after they were baked, looking flavorful and appetizing.
Clark posted a photo of everyone at the table reaching for the tarts. It was clear there were a lot of people dining. Serena counted
at least 15.
Could it be that their uncle's family had also come? But that still wouldn't account for so many people.
Who were these extra guests?
Could it be that Romeo was there too?
Or perhaps Grandpa Phillip and Grandma Shirley had joined?
No way.
Sean's photo was a repost from the eldest brother.
David's video showed the chef placing a plate on the table, and everyone immediately reaching in. The plate was emptied in a
flash, laughter and chatter filling the room.
Serena hadn't expected that, even in her absence, they could still laugh and enjoy themselves so heartily.