To Love A Villain

Chapter 226: Crime Shall Be Done Together

>>Pen (12 Years old)

The smell of cookies was unbearable. Like really unbearable.

I gulped as I stood hiding behind the door frame. Mom had taken the cookies out of the oven and transferred them to the plate.

I couldn’t take my eyes off of them

My stomach rumbled for the sweets but I couldn’t run and get them. Mom had told everyone that no one was to touch the cookies since she’s going to take them to the market and sell them.

I watched her grab a basket and leave through the kitchen door. She must be going to the public garden to get stuff for tonight’s dinner.

As she left, closing the door behind her. I stealthily made my way in the kitchen and stood in front of the steaming cookies

I gulped again

Gosh! Even the smell is so sweet!

The cookies were calling my name. Their golden-brown surface, dotted with melted chocolate chunks, glistened under the soft kitchen light. They looked so soft and warm, practically melting in my mouth already. I couldn’t help it—my hand moved on its own.

I reached out, fingers trembling with anticipation, and picked up a cookie. It was still warm, almost burning my fingertips. I took a bite.

Mmmm!

Heaven.

Warm, gooey, and sweet with just the right amount of crunch. My eyes fluttered shut as I savored the taste. Before I knew it, I’d taken another bite, and then another. I didn’t even hear the kitchen door creak open behind me.

"What do you think you’re doing?" Dad’s deep voice cut through my bliss.

!!!

I jumped, cookie crumbs flying everywhere as I spun around. There he was, standing with his arms crossed, looking down at me with a stern expression.

"Uh...nothing!" I squeaked, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand and hiding the half-eaten cookie behind my back.

"Nothing? Really? Because it looks like you’ve got a face full of evidence," He said, raising an eyebrow.

I was caught red-handed—or, rather, cookie-handed. I could see the lecture coming, but I wasn’t going down without a fight.

I needed a distraction.

"Daddy," I began sweetly, blinking up at him with my best innocent eyes, "Did you know that Mom is making these cookies for the market, but I think it’s so unfair that she won’t let you taste any! You work so hard, and these cookies... they’re just so delicious." I waved the half-eaten cookie in front of him temptingly.

Dad’s stern expression softened a bit, his eyes darting to the cookies on the plate. I could see his resolve wavering.

Now the thing is, Dad loves sweets. I most likely got my sweet tooth from him.

His gaze shifted back to me, and he sighed.

"You think I don’t know what you’re trying to do?" He asked, but his tone had lost some of its firmness.

I know Dad loves cookies, even more than I do! I can get away!!

"I’m serious! Here, try one," I insisted, holding the cookie up to him. "It’s not fair that you miss out!"

He hesitated for a moment, his eyes locked on the cookie, then on me. "If your mom catches us..."

"She won’t!" I grinned, pushing the cookie into his hand. "Besides, you know you want to."

Dad sighed again, but this time, it was more resigned. "Alright, but just one," He muttered, taking a bite. His eyes widened as he chewed, a small smile creeping onto his face. "These are... actually pretty good."

"See? Told you!" I giggled, grabbing another cookie for myself. "You deserve it, Dad."

For a moment, we stood there in the kitchen, munching away, enjoying our little rebellion. I couldn’t help but feel victorious. We had successfully outsmarted Mom—or so I thought.

Suddenly, the kitchen door flew open again. My heart leaped into my throat as I saw Val standing there, his eyes wide with shock. His mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water.

"What... are you two doing?" He finally stuttered, his gaze shifting between us and the nearly empty cookie plate.

Dad and I froze, still holding cookies in our hands like two kids caught stealing from the cookie jar. I looked at Dad; he looked back at me.

Panic set in.

"Uh... taste testing!" I blurted out. "For quality control!"

Val squinted at us suspiciously, then slowly started to smirk. "You do realize she’s going to know, right?" He knew right away I was spewing nonsense.

Dad and I exchanged a horrified glance.

Val stood in the doorway, his eyes narrowing as he took in the scene—the nearly empty plate of cookies, crumbs scattered on the counter, and both me and Dad trying to chew through our stolen goods as fast as we could. He wasn’t just smirking anymore; his face had shifted to a look of sheer disappointment.

"Really?" Val said, crossing his arms over his chest. His voice was low, filled with an exaggerated sense of disbelief. "I mean, I expected better from you two. You do realize those cookies were meant for the market, right?"

Dad and I exchanged guilty glances. I felt a flush creep up my cheeks, my heart sinking a little. Dad, who was usually so confident and in charge, looked more like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He cleared his throat, clearly embarrassed.

"Uh, well, you see, Val, it’s not exactly what it looks like," Dad stammered, rubbing the back of his neck. "We were, uh, just... making sure the cookies were, you know, good enough for selling."

Val raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Making sure they’re good enough? By devouring half the plate?"

I giggled nervously. "Okay, okay, we might have gone a little overboard. But, Val, you have to understand, these cookies are something else! It’s like they’ve got this magical pull. I mean, just smell them!"

I grabbed a cookie and ran up to him, then waved a fresh cookie under his nose, the warm, sugary aroma filling the air between us. Val’s nose twitched slightly, his expression softening for just a split second before he regained his composure.

"Pen," Val said in a mock-serious tone, addressing me like a strict parent, "You can’t just go around breaking the rules and then drag others down with you." He glanced at Dad, who looked like he wanted to melt into the floor. "And Uncle! You’re supposed to be the responsible adult here."

Dad chuckled awkwardly. "Well, I guess I’m not setting the best example, huh?"

Val sighed deeply, as if dealing with two unruly children, and I could see that he wasn’t genuinely mad, just amused and trying to keep up the facade. "You guys are lucky I don’t snitch on you to Aunt. But still, you should be ashamed—"

"Oh, come on, Val! Just one bite," I interrupted, still holding the cookie close to his face. "You’ll see what I mean. They’re impossible to resist!"

Val hesitated, his eyes locked on the cookie. For a moment, he looked like he was going to keep scolding us, but the scent seemed to be winning him over.

His stern expression wavered.

"Fine," He grumbled, snatching the cookie from my hand. "Just one bite. But don’t think this gets you off the hook."

I watched eagerly as Val took a cautious bite, and then his eyes widened. I could see the change immediately—his serious demeanor melted away, replaced by surprise and delight. He took another bite, then another, until the whole cookie was gone.

"Wow," He mumbled, crumbs on his lips. "These are... these are really good."

I grinned, triumphant. "See? Told you!"

Dad chuckled, nudging Val with his elbow. "You want another one? You know you do."

Val tried to maintain his stern look, but his eyes darted back to the cookie plate. "Alright, fine. But just to make sure they’re really that good," He said, reaching for another.

And that was all it took. Soon, the three of us were gathered around the plate, munching away, giggling like a bunch of kids sneaking treats behind the teacher’s back. Cookie after cookie disappeared between us, and it wasn’t long before the once-full plate was empty.

...

We all stopped chewing, staring at the bare plate.

...

The reality of what we’d done settled in like a sudden cold breeze.

"Uh-oh," I whispered, my eyes widening in horror. "We... we ate them all."

Dad’s face went pale. "Oh no... your mom’s going to kill us."

Val looked equally stricken. "What do you mean ’us’? I was just an innocent bystander! You two dragged me into this!"

I shot him a look. "You didn’t seem so innocent when you were gobbling down that last cookie, Val!"

We all glanced at each other, panic rising. Mom would be back soon, and when she saw the empty plate...

"What are we gonna do?" Dad asked, looking from me to Val.

"I don’t know!" I hissed back. "Maybe we can... bake more?"

Val shook his head. "Aunt will know. Her cookies are always perfect. There’s no way we could replicate them in time."

For a moment, we all just stood there.

Then, without a word, we all started frantically brushing away crumbs and wiping the counter, desperately trying to erase the evidence of our crime. But we knew, deep down, it wasn’t going to be enough.

We were doomed.

And that’s when the sound of the front door creaking open made us all jump. We looked at each other with wide eyes, our faces drained of color.

Mom was back.

And there were no cookies left.