Chapter 6 - The Shadow of Jealousy
Across the street, sitting inside a sleek white sports car, was Victoria Vance—Roman’s former corporate partner and ex-fiancée.
Victoria tapped her manicured nails against the leather steering wheel, her eyes burning with intense fury as she watched Roman smile at the simple baker inside Honey & Rye Bakery.
For two years, Victoria had tried to force Roman into a high-society marriage to merge their family real estate empires. When Roman broke off their engagement following his brother's tragedy to focus entirely on raising Lily, Victoria had assumed he would eventually come crawling back.
Seeing him look at Clare with genuine warmth and tender respect made Victoria’s blood boil.
“A low-class baker?” Victoria sneered to herself, grabbing her phone from the passenger seat. “He rejected a fifty-million-dollar merger for a girl who smells like flour?”
She dialed her private attorney, her voice dropping into a sharp, predatory tone.
“Richard,” Victoria commanded into the phone. “Look up the commercial mortgage and tax records for Honey & Rye Bakery on 4th Street. Find out who holds their primary bank loan.”
On the other end of the line, her attorney chuckled. “The property is held by First Heritage Trust, Ms. Vance. Your father sits on their board of directors.”
May you like
Victoria smiled a cruel, cold smile. “Excellent. Initiate an immediate foreclosure review on their commercial lease. I want that bakery shut down by Friday.”
👉 Unaware of the corporate trap being set against her, Clare was busy giving Lily her very first baking lesson.
