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327. Choose Us
Tanggal publikasi:
2026-08-26 11:00:37
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Reclaiming the Love We Lost 328. Our New Marriage
Lydia walked into the kitchen and stopped. Adrian was already there, standing at the stove making pancakes while Hayes sat at the counter. Aurelia was in her high chair, happily banging a spoon against the tray. Lydia smiled. "Good morning." Adrian looked over his shoulder. "Good morning." Hayes immediately raised his hand. "Dad burned one." "I did not." "You did." "It was one pancake," Adrian defended himself. Lydia laughed. "You're still cooking?" Adrian looked offended. "I can cook." Hayes shook his head. "Mommy cooks better." "Traitor." Lydia walked toward them. "What happened?" "Dad tried to make heart-shaped pancakes," Hayes said, pointing toward a plate. Lydia looked. The pancakes were supposed to resemble hearts, but they looked more like badly shaped clouds. She covered her mouth. "Very artistic." Adrian narrowed his eyes. "Thank you." "You're welcome." He handed her a plate. "Sit." Lydia blinked. "You made breakfast for me?" "I made breakfast for everyone.
Reclaiming the Love We Lost 327. Choose Us
The penthouse was unusually quiet that evening. Lydia sat alone at the dining table with her laptop open in front of her, surrounded by expansion projections, construction schedules, supplier contracts, and staffing plans. It was almost ten. She rubbed her eyes and leaned back in her chair. She had promised herself she would stop working an hour ago, but one more email had become three, one more calculation had turned into another spreadsheet, and before she knew it, the entire evening had disappeared. She glanced at the clock: 10:07 PM. Lydia sighed and closed her laptop halfway, then opened it again. There was still one proposal she needed to review. She didn't hear the front door open or notice the sound of footsteps until Adrian's voice came from behind her. "You're still working." Lydia looked up and froze. Adrian was standing near the dining room entrance—but something was different. He wasn't wearing his usual exhausted expression, he wasn't carrying his laptop, and h
Reclaiming the Love We Lost 327. The Old Pattern
The argument started over something small. It always did. Lydia was standing in the kitchen, preparing a cup of tea after another exhausting day at the bakery. It was almost midnight. Adrian had just arrived home. Again. He placed his keys on the counter and loosened his tie. Lydia didn't turn around. "You're late." "I know." "You said you'd be home earlier." "I tried." She finally looked at him. "Did you?" Adrian's expression tightened. "Yes." "I called you twice." "I was in a meeting." "You could have answered afterward." "I know." Lydia looked away. She was tired, he was tired, and neither of them wanted to fight. But the tension had been building for weeks. "You didn't eat," Adrian noted. "I'm not hungry." "You need to eat." "I said I'm not hungry." He sighed. "Lydia." "What?" "I'm not trying to argue with you." "Neither am I." "Then why does everything I say sound like the beginning of an argument?" She laughed bitterly. "Because you keep saying the same t
Reclaiming the Love We Lost 326. The Distance
The first sign that something was wrong was the empty chair. Lydia noticed it at seven-thirty that evening. She had set the dinner table for four: Hayes was finishing his homework, Aurelia was in her high chair happily playing with a spoon, and Adrian's chair remained empty. Lydia checked her phone. No message. She looked at the clock again. Seven-thirty. She had promised herself she would be home earlier that evening, leaving the bakery at six. For once, she had refused to stay for another meeting and had even ignored three calls from Julian because she wanted to have dinner with her family. She had thought Adrian would be happy, but instead, he wasn't there. Hayes looked at the empty chair. "Is Dad coming?" Lydia smiled. "He'll be home." "When?" She hesitated. "Soon." Hayes nodded and returned to his food. Lydia tried to eat, but the food had already gone cold. At eight-fifteen, her phone finally vibrated. Adrian: I'm sorry. Still at the office. Don't wait for me. She sta
Reclaiming the Love We Lost 325. The First Fight
The decision was made on a Monday morning. Lydia sat at the head of the conference table inside Lydia's Heart, staring at the revised expansion proposal: three new locations, a larger production kitchen, a dedicated distribution team, a stronger online presence—and most importantly, full operational control. She had negotiated the investment terms carefully, turning down the offer that required giving away too much of the company in favor of a smaller partnership that allowed her to grow without losing the identity of Lydia's Heart. It wasn't the fastest path, but it was hers. Julian looked at her from across the table. "So?" Lydia smiled. "We're expanding." The room erupted in cheers. Julian laughed. "I knew it." Lydia looked around at her team. "Then let's do this properly." She felt excited, terrified, and deeply alive. For the first time, Lydia wasn't simply rebuilding something from her past—she was building her future.*** That evening, Lydia arrived home later than usual
Reclaiming the Love We Lost 323. Lydia's Decision
The offer arrived on a Tuesday morning. Lydia was sitting in the office above Lydia's Heart, reviewing the bakery's latest financial report, when Julian knocked on the door. "Do you have a minute?" Lydia looked up. "Sure." Julian walked in carrying a thick folder and placed it on her desk. "What is that?" "Something you should probably read before you say no." Lydia raised an eyebrow. "Why would I say no?" "Because it's big," he said, pushing the folder toward her. Lydia opened it, her eyes moving across the first page before stopping abruptly. She read it again. "Three locations?" Julian nodded. "Three new locations in eighteen months." "That's..." "Big." She slowly turned another page. The proposal included projected revenue, expansion plans, staffing requirements, supply chains, marketing budgets, and a proposed investment structure. The investor wasn't offering a small loan; they wanted a significant stake in Lydia's Heart. In exchange, they would provide the capital
Reclaiming the Love We Lost 4. THE KNOCK AT THE DOOR
Lydia watched him for a heartbeat, the reality of his presence finally breaking through her shock. Before he could take another step toward the furnace, she moved. She threw her arms around his neck, burying her face in the damp of his jacket. "Noah," she sobbed. Noah froze for a split second, hi
Reclaiming the Love We Lost 3. THE PRICE OF NOTHING
Adrian didn't sleep that night.The penthouse lights stayed on until dawn, the chocolate torte long abandoned on the coffee table, one bite missing like a ghost of her presence. He paced the living room, replaying the hospital hallway exchange, the returned five million, the dead phone number, the
Reclaiming the Love We Lost 202.The Sovereign Lock
The smooth, rhythmic hum of the high-speed document scanner was the only sound echoing through the minimalist executive suite of Hart Legal Chambers. Lydia Hart sat at the center of a massive, circular glass desk. The tailored gray silk blazers of her past survival era had been replaced by a sharp
Reclaiming the Love We Lost 198. The Path to the Sky
The sleek, midnight-black AgustaWestland helicopter sheared through the heavy low-hanging fog of the Manhattan skyline, its rotors cutting the crisp night air with a rhythmic, thunderous roar. Inside the sound-insulated, leather-lined cabin, the soft amber dashboard lights cast long shadows over t
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