The Princess and the Pauper (Arabella) novel Chapter 1928

“Mine for you is this one, a delightful dish where creamy shrimp mousse was stuffed into clams, symbolizing wealth and prosperity for the coming year.”

Applause filled the room once again.

David was busy capturing every dish and well-wish on video, quickly uploading the montage to Facebook.

Friends flicked through their feeds and stumbled upon David's post, mistaking his terms of endearment for Serena. Their messages pinged with praise, envying her for being the apple of everyone's eye.

Whether it was Hans, a titan in the business world, or David, a pop icon with hundreds of millions of followers, everyone, elder or peer, happily hustled into the kitchen to cook for this young lady.

The level of adoration she received was beyond belief.

Serena watched from the garden as the sun dipped below the horizon, until the sky was draped in darkness.

"Serena, it's getting chilly out here. Shall I wheel you inside?" Dora asked, bending down.

Serena nodded, pulling out her phone to check if Martin had messaged about dinner. She noticed her phone was on silent, flooded with unread messages topping 99+.

"Serena, you're so lucky to have such a caring family."

"I can tell they all adore you. Your New Year's celebration is pretty enviable."

"A celebrity brother cooking for you. If it were me, I'd be moved to tears."

"Serena, how do you do it? A wealthy family like yours, so warm and loving behind closed doors. I'm so jealous."

"Serena, I adore your family. The elders have no airs; they respect the kids and prepare surprises, something my family lacks!"

Confused by the barrage of messages, Serena had a hunch one of her brothers had posted on Facebook again.

Not just grandparents in the kitchen, but even Alma had prepared a dish for Arabella! That damned Alma.

Just the thought of that little wretch would make Serena bristle with rage. Before, this wretch was always at odds with her, and now, no sooner had Serena left the Collins family, Alma began cozying up to Arabella, even cooking for her.

The biggest shock was the Collins family inviting Romeo to dinner, where he cooked not one, but two dishes!

"Serena, your fiancé is so good to you. He's wealthy, handsome, and he even cooks for you."

"How did you capture his heart? Share your secrets with us! I declare that you're officially our role model now; we should all learn from you!"

"Never expected your fiancé to be skilled in the kitchen too, making such beautiful dishes."

"Serena, you truly are the happiest woman in the world!!"