It had been a month since I buried myself in the intensity of my final year, hoping the pressure of deadlines and the heat of stainless steel kitchens could numb everything I still felt for Liam Black.

It worked.

Sort of.

Chef Conrad Wells was another story.

"Strict" would’ve been generous. "Ruthless" came closer. But if I was being honest, it was personal.

He didn’t just critique, he scrutinized. Didn’t just instruct, he hovered. Every move I made, every stir, every garnish, his eyes ...