Sebastian grinned mischievously. "Alexander, this is your first time cooking. It's a historic moment. I'm just preserving it for posterity!"

Alexander's expression darkened further.

It was true this was his inaugural attempt at cooking, but it had ended in spectacular failure, humiliating him in front of Evelyn. What was there to commemorate?

Sebastian seemed determined to antagonize him.

The more Alexander thought about it, the more his anger simmered.

Just as he was about to erupt, Evelyn, standing beside him, spoke up casually. "Mr. Hayes, may I see the photo you just took?"

Hearing her voice instantly soothed Alexander's rising temper.

He glanced at Evelyn, his curiosity piqued, and the demand to delete the photo died on his lips.

Without a second thought, Sebastian eagerly presented his phone to Evelyn.

"See? I have a real talent for this. The composition, the lighting... anyone would agree it's masterful."

Evelyn studied the image. It captured Alexander looking less rigid than usual, his hair slightly tousled, which lent him an unexpected warmth and appeal.

She thought he looked more attractive in this unguarded kitchen moment than he ever did in his perfectly tailored suits.

A smile touched her lips. "So this is what they mean by finding beauty in the unexpected."

The longer Evelyn looked, the more she appreciated the photo.

A realization struck her: she had no pictures of Alexander on her own phone.

"Mr. Hayes, could you send this photo to me? I'd like to keep it," she requested, feeling a sudden pang of regret for not having captured any memories of him herself.

She had no photos of Alexander, nor any of them together.

Sebastian agreed readily. "Of course! Let's exchange WhatsApp details."

Watching them swap contact information sparked a sharp, unexpected jealousy in Alexander.

Sebastian's smug grin was becoming intolerable.

Why was he still here, anyway?

Alexander grasped Evelyn's wrist, his voice a low murmur. "Evelyn, that's not necessary. I can take many photos for you."

Evelyn blinked, then smiled. "Alright. You'll have to promise to take lots of pictures with me then."

Alexander let out a quiet breath of relief. He was about to suggest she didn't need to add Sebastian on WhatsApp, but they had already connected.

Sebastian caught the resigned look on Alexander's face and bit back a laugh.

"You look really handsome in this one." Evelyn opened the photo, saved it, and then showed the screen to Alexander.

"Look. Mr. Hayes has a gift for candid shots. We have him to thank for this keepsake." Evelyn smiled, tucked her phone away securely, and declared with earnest determination, "I'm going to safeguard this photo. Even if I change phones."