Chapter 5 - The Real Contract
Clare looked across the bakery toward the sunlit window. Lily was sitting quietly, holding a warm cherry pastry in her hands, her eyes fixed on Clare with a delicate, hopeful spark that had been missing for months.
All the anger and resentment Clare had harbored toward Roman vanished into thin air. He wasn't a ruthless corporate predator trying to crush her small business; he was a desperate, grieving uncle doing everything in his power to save his broken niece.
“Why didn't you just tell me the truth from the beginning?” Clare asked softly, stepping around the counter.
“Because I’m used to people using my family’s wealth for their own gain,” Roman confessed quietly, his hand resting beside his business card on the glass. “I thought if I offered you a business contract, it would be simpler. I didn't want to leverage my niece’s tragedy to guilt you into helping us.”
Clare looked down at the dark business card on the counter, then looked up at Roman’s stern, tattooed face.
“I won't accept your money, Roman,” Clare said firmly.
Roman’s brow furrowed. “Clare, please—”
“I won't accept your money,” Clare repeated, a warm, genuine smile gracing her lips, “but I will help Lily. She can come here every afternoon after school. I’ll teach her how to bake.”
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Roman stared at her in complete disbelief, his hardened features softening with profound gratitude.
👉 But just as a peaceful new chapter began, a shadowy figure from Roman’s past watched them through the bakery window with venomous jealousy.
