Theodore's face lit up with her few words of praise. Watching Ariana relish the food brought him immense joy.

Indeed, he mused, he possessed a flair for cooking. Horace's dismissal had been sorely misguided; his culinary prowess was on par with any five-star chef.

Theodore's spirits were lifted by his accomplishments. Yet, just then. his phone interrupted the pleasant scene.

Noticing Horace's name on the screen, he frowned.

Why would Horace call him now? Didn't he make it clear that it was his day off?

Theodore's frown deepened. Horace had left to collect the test report earlier. Could there be an issue with it?

Alarmed, Theodore promptly took the call.

Horace, however, offered Little information over the phone. He simply stated he was downstairs and requested Theodore to join him.

Judging by his tone, Theodore sensed the report held disconcerting news, his worry creasing his brow further.

“Anything wrong? Who's on the line?" Ariana queried.

Snapping back to the present, Theodore quickly composed himself.

“Horace. I need to step out for a moment. Enjoy your meal," he reassured her, picking up his jacket before stepping out.

Once Theodore had departed, Ariana, with a thoughtful expression on her face, put down her fork and reached for her glass of water.

The meal was overly salty. Had Theodore lingered a moment longer, the saltiness would've overwhelmed her.

Based on Theodore's recent attempts at cooking, his dishes veered between bland and excessively salty. Her praise was designed to stoke his enthusiasm, not to critique his culinary prowess

She understood that Theodore was a novice in the kitchen with potential for growth. With a little more encouragement, Theodore might soon become the household's designated chef. All she'd have to do then was sit back and savor the meals.

Theodore, who'd hastily exited, made his way downstairs and slid into the car, addressing Horace directly, "What's the urgency? Why are you calling me down?"

Horace remained silent, his expression grave. He extended a report to Theodore.

Skimming through the medical test data, Theodore's heart pounded.

Breaking the silence, Horace announced, "The tested components are indeed a health supplement."