Chapter 52: The wait Diana pov I woke up early, feeling accomplished after a long night of baking and preparing orders for the company's delivery car. I had worked tirelessly to ensure every single order was perfect, from wholesale to retail. Every loaf, cake, and pie had been baked, boxed, and labeled. I handled each order carefully, especially the ones for that company that had been her biggest customer for the past two years. She had never met the boss, but today… today might be different.As I waited for the delivery car to arrive, I thought about my plan to follow the driver to her boss's location. I wanted to personally invite the boss to the branch opening and express her gratitude for being a loyal customer for two years.Gift entered the room carrying a mugs of tea. “You need this for energy,” she said, gently placing the mug in front of me.“I will. Just for a bit. I want to follow the delivery van. I’ll finally meet him today.”Gift paused. “The CEO?”I nodded. “It’s b
Chapter 53: Restaurant PlansDiana's Pov As I held Star close, I couldn't help but think about my restaurant plans. I had been working tirelessly to save up enough money to open my own pastry shop, and it was finally becoming a reality. I had already scouted out a location, and I was in the process of designing the interior.I envisioned a warm and inviting space, filled with the sweet aroma of freshly baked pastries. I would have a large kitchen, where I could experiment with new recipes and techniques. And I would have a cozy dining area, where customers could relax and enjoy their treats.I thought about all the details, from the color scheme to the menu. I would offer a variety of sweet and savory pastries, as well as specialty cakes and desserts. And I would make sure to include a section of the menu dedicated to my son, Star. Maybe a "Mom's Favorite" section, with treats that he loved.I smiled to myself, feeling excited about the possibilities. This was going to be my dream co
Chapter 52 – grateful for every journeyTwo years later.I wake up, stretch, and smile. I breathe in deep. I feel proud and thankful.I finally did it. I saved enough money…every dollar…to open my dream pastry shop. A real place of my own. A spot filled with light, sugar, and hope.I did it by baking in rented kitchens for two years. A little cake here, a dozen cupcakes there. I saved every penny. I said no to fun nights and cheap clothes. I believed in this dream.I’m so happy.I walk downstairs from my apartment bedroom, through a small hallway, to the front of my shop. It’s called “Whisk & Wings”, named after the little whisk with wings I drew myself.The early morning sunshine warms the wooden door. The smell of butter, sugar, and fresh dough floats in the air.I pull the door open, and the bell rings.I’m not nervous. Not today.I sweep my apron, adjust my hair, and step behind the counter.push aside the morning dust of dreams, and head down in my favorite space.Yesterday’s dough
Chapter 51 – The PromiseI woke up earlier than usual.For once, the house felt still…too still. No soft humming from the kitchen. No clinking of spoons against ceramic bowls. No gospel songs playing from her phone. Just silence.Strange.I sat up and rubbed my face. My eyes were still heavy from lack of sleep, but something felt… off. I got out of bed and walked toward the hallway.She was standing by the front door.My mom.Dressed in a long blue lace gown with her matching headscarf, her suitcase standing neatly by her side. Her purse on her arm. Her scarf pinned like she was attending a wedding. Not a wrinkle in sight.“Mom?” I called, half-confused. “Where are you going?”She turned to me slowly, not wearing her usual bright morning smile. Her lips were pressed together, and her brows were already raised in that way that told me she had something loaded….something that would stick to me all day.“I’m going back home,” she said calmly.I blinked. “Now? You didn’t even tell me you
Chapter 50: Threads of ObsessionMercy’s POVI didn’t sleep last night. Not a single second.My eyes were wide open, fixed on the ceiling like it could give me answers. But the only thing spinning through my head was that name…..Diana. The girl has always been on my way to everything that I ever wanted. She has messed everything up for me, from dragging him with John to now dragging Xander. She has always been on my way, but not this time. He can't take my Xander’s heart or even replace me.Ever since she disappeared in this office, I’d spent years playing my part, being patient, smiling through his silence, dressing up like a trophy, and acting like I didn’t notice he was emotionally gone. But I did. I saw it every day. I just told myself he’d come around. He’d grow out of it.But after hearing that voice note? After seeing those pictures of hers in that system. I know that there’s no hope. Not if she’s still alive.So I made a decision…a dark one, but a necessary one.I pulled out m
Chapter 49: The TraceXander’s POVAfter storming out of the coffee shop, Xander finds himself walking without direction. His mind is a battlefield…Diana’s silence, Mercy’s strange tactics, and the hostile conversation with Diana’s mother all swirl into a storm of regret, guilt, desperation and the boiling in my chest. I kept walking. No destination. No plan.The city moved around me like I wasn’t even there. Horns blared, people passed, conversations floated in and out of reach. But I wasn’t part of any of it. I was somewhere between memory and madness.Eventually, I ended up on a quiet street I hadn’t walked in a year. Familiar and haunting all at once. My feet stopped in front of a small, dimly lit bar….the one I only visited once.The quiet bar where I found Diana drinking herself up with drink I had walked into that bar with no intention of staying long….just a drink or two to drown out the noise of boardrooms, backstabbing, and burnout. But then I saw her.She was sitting at t