CHAPTER 12

Ivo’s face showed concern for Dakota. He didn’t expect to see her crying. Dakota immediately looked away from him. She sniffed a few more times and quickly wiped her face.

“Dakota, are you okay?”

She looked at him. “I-I don’t know either. I was fine earlier but... When I saw them, I started crying.” She turned back to where she came from earlier.

Ivo doesn’t know what Dakota means, but the way she looks at a family from somewhere, he seems to feel the pain, even if she doesn’t say all the details. He also couldn’t understand himself why he seemed to have feelings for the girl he couldn’t name. When he noticed that Dakota seemed to be in tears again, he immediately took her by the hand and then pulled her away from that place.

“C-Chef,” Dakota called him, but he ignored her. They just walked straight until they reached the gazebo.

They stopped immediately when he noticed a rope facing inside, but Ivo immediately removed it and they went inside. Dakota’s face shows the wonder why they are there. Her eyes were red, obviously from crying.

“Chef, why are we here?”

“Are you alright? Why are you crying?” He couldn’t stop himself from asking Dakota like that.

“I-I’m fine, Chef. Why are we here?”

“Are you sure?”

Dakota nodded slowly while looking at him. Ivo took a deep breath, then took the handkerchief from a pocket of his pants. He handed it to Dakota. Her face became even more surprised as she looked at him, but she didn’t take it at all. “Take it.”

That’s when Dakota took action and accepted the handkerchief. She seemed ashamed to wipe her face. Ivo couldn’t help but look at her white face, that was now slightly reddened due to embarrassment. When Dakota looked at him, he looked away.

“I’ll wash it first, chef, before I give it back to you.”

Ivo just nodded, then looked at her for a moment. “Are you really okay?”

“Yes, Chef. Thank you,” said Dakota.

“We’ll be here until you’re okay.”

“I’m fine,” she said, obviously forcing herself.

He looked at her and met his eyes. His heart was beating so hard that he didn’t know why. There was something he couldn’t explain to himself. He seemed to want to know whatever was on Dakota’s mind, but he had no reason to. Or if he has the right or what. He took a deep breath.

“If you have a problem, tell me, okay?”

“Huh?” Dakota didn’t seem to hear him.

“Nothing. Let’s go back there,” Ivo said, then started to walk out of the gazebo, with Dakota following. He could feel his step and that’s why he slowed down. He didn’t know why he felt so strongly about the new employee. It was only now that he cared for a woman, before he knew what true humanity was.

“Chef, Dakota! Where are you from?” Liam asked, obviously worried.

“Why?” he asked. He turned to Dakota, who was immediately approached by Willow.

“It’s Ashton, he’s looking for you. They said they couldn’t see you, that’s why they reported!” it was Wendy who spoke.

“What?” He frowned.

“That man is really overacting,” Shane said, then shook her head.

Ivo immediately took out the cell phone to call his assistant, who was always very overacting. He was not even called before reporting. It didn’t take long, and he immediately answered.

“Listen to me. I’m here, okay? Come back.” What he said was full of emphasis that he didn’t know if his teammates would notice that he was really stressed to their teammates.

“Okay, chef... Sir, our chef has been seen. Thanks?” It seemed that he was talking to someone else, so Ivo ended the call.

The man faced his colleagues. He immediately looked at Dakota, who was talking to Willow. He wanted to approach her to ask if she was really feeling well, but he was too shy to approach her and ask her.

“What happened? Where did you go? Did you cry? Why are your eyes red?” Willow asked her friend, one after another. Even though they were quite far away, Ivo could clearly hear what she was saying.

Dakota just nods in response to Willow. The man looked at his behavior. He was about to ask her if she was really okay, but Ashton suddenly came and immediately grabbed her arm. He looked at her with a frown.

“Chef, where are you from?” he asked, slightly out of breath from running.

“Aren’t you the one I should be asking that? I was here a while ago, but you, you are not here.”

“Chef, I looked for you. I was worried about you,” he said.

He didn’t move and focused his attention on the cell phone in his hand. Because it rang. He just looked at Ashton as if his patience was running out. He briefly glanced at Dakota, who was looking at him, but only for a moment because he was busy talking to his friends. His call. “Where are you?” he immediately asked here.

“Chef, where are you? I’ve been looking for you for a while now, huh!” Ashton said on the other line.

Ivo caught the feeling because he suddenly felt stress for the assistant. “Where are you? Come back here.”

“Well, I’m here with the guards. I’m looking for you,” he said.

“You worry us, Dakota. You only told us that you’re going to walk around,” Shane said, handing Dakota some water.

“Thank you. Have I been gone for a long time?” She wondered why her friends seemed worried, but in fact she just disappeared for a moment. She doesn’t really know either because of what happened to her.

“Why do you look like you’re crying? Did you cry?”

“Did Chef Ivo scold you?” asked Wendy. Her face showed concern.

She shook her head immediately. “No. He didn’t scold me. I’m fine.”

“Hey, why is your face so red? Especially those eyes of yours, right?”

“Well, a while ago when I was walking, something got in my eyes, so yes, I scratched it,” she said as a slip. She secretly prayed that they would believe in her.

The look her friends gave her seemed to really believe her. They wouldn't notice she was lying because she bowed. Dakota didn’t want to lie, but she couldn’t do anything. She doesn’t want to keep it a secret. Ivo is definitely wondering what happened to her.

Her eyes immediately caught Ivo, and she noticed that he was still talking to someone on the other side of the park. One of his hands went into a pants pocket while looking at the lake. Dakota’s attention went to the gazebo that was brought to her earlier. She still doesn’t know why Ivo brought her there when she could be somewhere else. She thought that someone might scold them because they are not allowed to enter there.

The day passed with them just being friends. The boys played board games while the girls told stories. She doesn’t feel bored listening to Shane and Wendy’s story because they have a funny story to tell. Willow was obviously sleepy. She lay on her side and rested on her thigh.

“You’re sleepy?” she asked her.

Willow nodded. “Yes. Can I sleep?” she asked.

“You came here to sleep?” Ashton asked with a smirk. It suddenly disappeared when Liam flipped his forehead. “Ouch! It’s hurt!”

“Just let her do what she wants. We didn’t scream when you invited us to play snake and ladder. Do you think we want to play it?” Liam asked. “Did we just come here to play like this?”