Chapter 12 - The Secret Recipe
“Clare?” Lily asked sweetly, walking back over to the baking prep counter. “Can we finish the cherry tarts now?”
Clare wiped a happy tear from her cheek, smiling warmly. “We certainly can, sweetie. In fact, I think it’s time I teach you my grandmother's secret recipe.”
Over the next three weeks, Honey & Rye Bakery flourished like never before.
News of Roman’s public buyout of First Heritage Trust and his protection of local small businesses made front-page headlines across the city, drawing hundreds of new customers to the bakery every single day.
Every afternoon at three o'clock sharp, Roman’s sleek black sedan pulled up outside the shop. Lily would jump out, wearing her white apron over her sweatshirt, rushing inside to work beside Clare at the pastry station.
Lily’s recovery was nothing short of a miracle. Her laughter echoed through the bakery daily, her confidence blooming as she mastered complex pastry doughs, fruit preserves, and cake decorating.
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And every single afternoon, Roman sat at the quiet wooden table by the sunlit window, working on his laptop, sipping dark coffee, and watching Clare with an intense, quiet affection that grew stronger with each passing day.
👉 But one rainy Tuesday evening, as Clare was closing up the shop, she found an unexpected package left on her office desk.
