Chapter 1

"Sophia, how much longer will it take to design our anniversary cake?"

Lillian Reed's sweet voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

Before I could answer, Lucas pulled out her chair as if it were the most natural thing in the world. His voice softened as he spoke to her.

"Don't rush her. Custom cakes take time. Let her think."

I stared at him.

I searched his familiar face for any sign of panic or guilt now that I'd caught him.

There was none. Since he'd walked in, he'd barely taken his eyes off Lillian. He watched her every move as if he were afraid she'd hurt herself.

"I'm sorry. I can't take your order."

Lillian frowned and shoved her phone toward me.

"What's that supposed to mean? If you can't honor a half-price promotion, don't advertise it. Are you messing with your customers?"

My voice stayed calm.

"It's not that. I just don't want to take your order."

"Why not?!"

Lucas frowned, but instead of asking me what was wrong, he stepped protectively in front of Lillian.

"Lillian, don't get upset. It's bad for your health. We'll order somewhere else."

"I won't! This is false advertising! I'm posting this online so everyone can see how she treats her customers!"

My throat tightened. I couldn't stand looking at Lucas any longer, so I turned away and went to the counter to help my next customer.

But Lillian stormed after me and knocked the fondant display cake off the table. I'd spent three days making it.

It crashed to the floor, scattering delicate sugar flowers everywhere.

Every customer in the shop turned to stare. Whispers quickly spread around us.

"The owner has a terrible attitude."

"If you can't honor a promotion, don't run one."

Their voices drowned out every word I tried to say.

No one wanted to hear my side.

I turned to Lucas. "Are you really going to stand there and let her wreck my shop?"

That got everyone's attention. Heads immediately turned toward us.

Lucas jerked his gaze away from mine.

Maybe he was afraid I'd expose him right there and send Lillian into another breakdown. He even stepped away from me.

Lillian grabbed his sleeve. "You two know each other?"

Lucas shook his head, his voice perfectly calm. "Not really. We went to the same college and were in the same year. We barely spoke."

We'd lived together for eight years, and now he was telling her we'd barely spoken.

A dull ache spread through my chest.

This was the man who'd stayed by my side even after I'd rejected him again and again.

The man who'd spent an entire day and night with me outside the emergency room after my mother died in a car accident.

When I first opened my bakery and people tried to cause trouble for me, he'd drunk until he got sick at business dinners just to win over investors. With bloodshot eyes, he'd promised he'd never let me struggle again.

And now, with a few careless words, he'd erased all eight years between us.

Maybe his promises had stopped meaning anything a long time ago.

I was just the fool who still believed them.

Mall security finally arrived and brought the chaos under control.

Mall management fined me $3,000 for the incident and warned me that my lease might not be renewed next quarter.

Even then, Lillian wasn't satisfied. She sneered at me. "A crooked little shop like this should have closed a long time ago."

Lucas murmured his agreement without even looking at me.

I crouched down and swept the shattered fondant into the trash, piece by piece. Then I opened my chat with Lucas.

"We're done. I'll return your share of the down payment on the apartment we bought together."