Jay’s POV Letting these two stay home today had officially become the worst decision I’d made all week.
I should’ve sent them to school.
Actually, no.
I should’ve personally driven them there, handed them to their teachers, and made sure they stayed until the final bell.
Instead, I’d somehow let Marcus convince me that making a chocolate cake together would be “fun.” Fun.
Whoever invented that word had clearly never tried baking with a fourteen-year-old and a ten-year-old.
“KUYA!” Kate’s voice echoed through the mansion loud enough to wake the entire neighborhood.
I winced.
“I said two eggs!” she yelled from the other side of the kitchen island.
“Why are you cracking another one?!” Marcus looked up from the mixing bowl with an expression that screamed I have no idea what I’m doing.
“Well, maybe learn to repeat the instructions properly, Kate!” he shot back.
“You keep changing what you’re saying!” “I said two!” “I heard three!” “I never said three!” “Well, you should’ve spoken louder!” Watching the two of them argue over eggs while standing in a kitchen that looked as though a hurricane had swept through it was giving me a headache.
Flour coated the marble countertop.
Cocoa powder had somehow found its way onto the floor.
There were eggshells scattered everywhere, a whisk lying abandoned in the sink, and what looked suspiciously like batter decorating one of the cabinet doors.
The cake batter itself…
Wasn’t even finished.
I slowly rubbed my temples.
Maybe chocolate cake wasn’t as easy as I’d confidently claimed it would be.
Around us, the maids stood frozen, exchanging amused glances with one another.
One of them had both hands pressed firmly over her mouth, her shoulders shaking as she desperately tried not to laugh.
Another finally gathered enough courage to step forward.
“Miss Jay…
perhaps we could—” “No.” My voice came out firmer than I intended.
I let out a quiet sigh before softening my tone.
“I can…
handle it.” Whether I actually believed that was another story.
I looked around the kitchen once more.
This wasn’t baking anymore.
This was surviving.
“Kuya!” Kate shrieked again, pointing dramatically toward the counter.
“Open the flour packet!” “I’ll—” I began, already taking a step forward.
BOOM!
The sound exploded through the kitchen.
For one terrifying second…
The entire room went completely silent.
I spun around toward the deafening sound, only to be greeted by complete chaos.
Marcus stood frozen in the middle of the kitchen, still clutching the torn flour packet in both hands.
A thick white cloud hung in the air around him before slowly settling over everything in sight.
Including Kate.
Her once-neat hair had turned completely white, every strand coated in flour.
The powder dusted her face from forehead to chin, making her look like she’d walked straight out of a ghost movie.
She blinked several times, sending tiny puffs of flour floating into the air.
Marcus wasn’t any better.
His face was just as pale, his eyebrows and hair completely dusted white until the two of them looked less like siblings and more like identical ghosts.
For one long second…
Nobody said a word.
Then the kitchen erupted.
The maids burst into laughter, some of them bending over the counter as they struggled to catch their breath.
Even the butler, who usually maintained the perfect professional expression, turned away with a hand covering his mouth, failing miserably to hide the smile tugging at his lips.
“KUYA!” Kate shrieked, stamping her foot.
“HOW COULD YOU?!” Marcus looked down at the flour packet before raising both hands in surrender.
“Who knew a flour packet could explode like that?
Did they fill it with helium or something?” I couldn’t hold it in anymore.
A loud laugh escaped me as I clutched my stomach, tears beginning to gather in the corners of my eyes.
“Heliu—” Poof!
Something soft smacked directly into my face.
Flour.
Cold.
Dry.
Everywhere.
The white powder exploded across my hair, my cheeks, and even into my eyelashes.
My laughter died instantly.
The entire kitchen became so quiet that you could’ve heard a spoon hit the floor.
Slowly…
Very slowly…
I brushed a layer of flour off my cheek.
Then I lifted my eyes.
Marcus stood there with his mouth hanging open.
Kate’s hands immediately flew over her mouth.
“…” “I…” Marcus swallowed.
“…That wasn’t supposed to happen.” The corner of my eye twitched.
A dangerous smile slowly spread across my face.
“Oh…” I reached for the nearest handful of flour.
“So…” “You two…” “…have chosen war.” The dangerous smile tugging at my lips widened as I slowly reached for the open bag of flour.
Marcus took one look at my expression and immediately knew what I was thinking.
His eyes widened in horror as he pointed at me with a trembling finger.
“…Kate,” he whispered dramatically.
“What?” she asked innocently.
“…Run.” Kate gasped so loudly you’d think we’d been invaded.
“RETREAT!” The two of them scattered in opposite directions, nearly slipping on the flour already covering the marble floor.
I couldn’t stop laughing as I scooped up a handful of flour and tossed it straight at Marcus.
The white powder exploded against the back of his shirt, coating him from head to toe.
He came to an abrupt stop before slowly turning around.
His face was completely blank, but I knew that expression.
He was plotting revenge.
“You started it, Ate,” he said, brushing flour off his shoulder.
I folded my arms with the most innocent smile I could manage.
“No.
You threw flour at me first.” “That was an accident.” “And this,” I said, grabbing another handful, “is my accident.” The second cloud of flour hit him square in the face.
Kate doubled over laughing so hard she had to hold onto the kitchen island to stop herself from falling.
Her laughter echoed through the entire kitchen while Marcus stood there looking like a very offended snowman.
“Get her, Kuya!” Kate squealed between giggles.
“Oh, I will.” Marcus lunged for the biggest bag of flour on the counter, but in his hurry he squeezed it far harder than he meant to.
The packet burst open with a loud poof, sending a massive cloud of flour into the air.
Within seconds, all three of us disappeared inside a white fog.
When it finally settled, everything—from the countertops to our hair—had been dusted white once again.
The kitchen erupted with laughter.
Even the maids couldn’t hold themselves together anymore.
One leaned against the refrigerator, wiping tears from her eyes, while another had completely given up trying to look professional.
I glanced toward the butler, expecting at least one sensible adult in the room.
Instead, he quietly turned his face away, one hand covering his mouth as his shoulders shook ever so slightly.
He was laughing too.
Kate suddenly reached for a bowl of cocoa powder sitting nearby.
“Hehe…” Marcus’s eyes widened.
“Kate, don’t you da—” Too late.
She threw it with all the strength a ten-year-old could manage.
Unfortunately, her aim was absolutely terrible.
The cocoa powder sailed gracefully past both of us before landing directly on the butler’s polished black shoes.
The entire kitchen fell silent.
Kate froze.
Marcus slowly looked at the butler.
I bit my lip, desperately trying not to laugh.
The butler lowered his gaze to his shoes before calmly looking back at Kate.
“It would appear,” he said with perfect composure, “that my shoes have become part of today’s recipe.” That was it.
Every maid burst into uncontrollable laughter.
One actually had to sit down because she was laughing so hard she couldn’t stay on her feet anymore.
Kate immediately hid behind Marcus, peeking out with guilty eyes.
“I-I’m sorry!” Marcus couldn’t even defend her because he was laughing just as hard as everyone else.
The moment I finally caught my breath, I reached for another handful of flour.
Marcus noticed.
“Oh no.” “Oh yes.” Within seconds, another flour fight broke out.
Flour flew across the kitchen from every direction as Marcus chased me around the island, Kate running behind him with tiny handfuls that barely reached me.
Every successful hit was followed by another fit of laughter until the once spotless kitchen looked as though a snowstorm had swept through it.
White footprints covered the marble floor, the counters had disappeared beneath layers of flour, and even the maids were accidentally getting caught in the crossfire.
Instead of complaining, they laughed harder, dodging behind cabinets and cheering as though they were watching some ridiculous competition.
I was laughing so hard my stomach hurt.
Marcus could barely breathe between fits of laughter, and Kate was proudly declaring herself the winner despite missing almost every throw.
Then…
Ding Dong.
The doorbell echoed through the mansion.
As if someone had pressed a pause button, every single person froze.
Marcus still had flour in his hand.
Kate stood with both cheeks puffed out, trying not to laugh.
I slowly lowered my arm, looking around at the disaster we’d created.
The kitchen looked like it had survived a blizzard.
The butler let out a long, defeated sigh before brushing the flour from his suit jacket with surprising elegance.
“I shall answer the door,” he said calmly.
He took a few steps toward the entrance before stopping.
Turning back to look at the three of us—covered from head to toe in flour—he adjusted his tie and smiled ever so slightly.
“…For all our sakes, I sincerely hope it isn’t an important guest.” the butler added.
– – – – A/N: Guys!
Thank you so much for supporting me even through my heavy schedule.
I posted on book 2 of Mariano twins yesterday.
🤗💞 But I also hope that people can comment more 🥲 Because the number of collection I have is a lot…
but the comments are too low.
Is my book getting boring for you all?
Maybe I can try a better way to entertain you people 🤨😣 I understand some of you may not have an account or some of you are silent readers 😓 But your comments…
you have no idea how much comments can support an author.
Not just me but to all authors 😞 I just hope you all can help me by commenting pls.
Also I will try to upload on book 2 of igniting love today or tomorrow.
I am pretty sure you all know unknown_2024 😈 Well my bestie and I had a deal 😎 Since she plans on disappearing and I shouldn’t…
I told her I will post on royal and the heir if she posts 3 chapters on her book.
🤗😈 Because the next 2 chapter of that book is going to be good!!!