The Mysterious Melissa

After attending to the customer, Fiona was about to go back into the kitchen to resume her talk with Prisca when she heard the bell to the bakery's door jingle again.

She had already forgotten that there was a long line of customers waiting outside. She looked around in search of an idle staff member but they were all busy tending to the other customers.

"I need to hire more workers." She thought to herself as she gently massaged her thighs.

Her encounter with Michael last night had left her famished. Though she took the drugs he left for her this morning, she still felt weak all over, most especially in her legs.

She had thought that she wasn't going to stand for too long at the bakery.

"Good morning." She heard a soft female voice.

"Good mor.."

She looked up to see a sophisticated middle-aged woman staring at her. She was dressed in a long green grown that stopped at the end of of her knee with a pair of luxurious heels to match.

She also put on fancy looking jewelries which highlighted her facial figures and an expensive purse. She wasn't putting on an makeup but she looked gorgeous. The most gorgeous middle-aged woman Fiona had ever met.

Everything about the woman—her graceful walk, the way she spoke, and her subtle, poised gestures—exuded effortless elegance. There was a quiet confidence in her presence that was hard to ignore.

Fiona found herself completely captivated, her eyes following the woman’s every move. So mesmerized was she that, for a moment, she completely forgot she was supposed to be attending to her.

"Hello.." The woman's voice brought Fiona out of her thoughts.

Fiona coughed and smiled in embarrassment when she realized that the woman had caught her intense gaze.

"I'm so sorry... It's just that you're so beautiful." Fiona complimented sincerely.

"Really??" The woman's brows perked up in surprise.

"Yes.. if you look this good at your age.. I wonder how you looked when you were younger." Fiona added, making the woman laugh out.

"Even though I'm as gorgeous as you claim, I know I can't compete with you." She claimed.

"Seriously?? You can't say that. I'm like every other average lady you'll meet out there." Fiona said in a dismissive tone.

"You're not. You're gorgeous, very gorgeous and well mannered too." The woman complimented.

"You can't jump to conclusions yet. We are just meeting for the first time, I can be quite the opposite of what you think I am." Fiona teased.

"I can be wrong about other things but never the impressions I get from people. You might try to deny it but I know what I'm talking about." The woman answered as she took another glance at Fiona.

"Well.. if that's your conclusion, I won't argue with you," Fiona muttered with a small smile.

"So what can I get you??"

"Oh.. a chocolate cheesecake with double raspberries. Wrap it up for me, I'm not eating here." The woman answered while Fiona took notes.

After Fiona was done writing down the woman's order, she looked up to stare at her in surprise.

"You enjoy this too??" She asked.

"Yeah.. It is my favorite dessert." The woman answered.

"Me too!!" Fiona exclaimed excitedly.

Since taking over the daily operations of her bakery and managing Tacha’s former coffee shop, she had encountered countless customers with varying preferences. Yet, not once had she met someone whose taste so perfectly mirrored her own. It was rare—almost refreshing—to find someone who appreciated the same flavors and textures she loved.

This was the first time and the most surprising part was that the woman shared exactly the same preference as her.

"Really?? I never knew I would find someone who has the same taste as I do."

"Me neither," Fiona muttered om excitement.

Fiona found the woman so captivating, so effortlessly fascinating, that she couldn’t resist the urge to engage her again. There was something about her presence—calm yet magnetic—that drew Fiona in.

Without overthinking it, she approached and struck up another conversation, eager to learn more and keep the connection alive.

"Uhmm.. Mrs...?" Fiona asked as she prepared the woman's order.

"Melissa.. my name is Melissa... just Melissa" The woman answered with a small smile.

"Okay, Melissa..." Fiona loved the way the woman's name rolled out perfectly from her mouth. She had a nice name.

"I haven't seen you around here before. Are you new in the pack??" Fiona asked.

"Yes.. I came from the northern wolf pack." The woman answered.

"What made you travel such a long distance?" Fiona asked again.

"For the pack's upcoming celebration and also personal matters," Melissa answered as she stared at nothing in particular with a sad look on her face.

Realizing she had pushed too far, Fiona was immediately overcome with guilt. She hadn’t meant to intrude, but in her curiosity, she had crossed a line. She should have known better—should have respected the woman’s privacy instead of pressing her with unnecessary questions.

The regret settled heavily on her chest, and she silently wished she could take back her words.

"I'm so sorry for being too inquisitive." She apologized sincerely.

"It's fine.. You don't have to apologize."

"Still, I'm sorry and here's your order." Fiona handed over her wrapped order to her. The woman received it and paid with her card.

"Thank you for patronizing us. I hope you enjoy your dessert." Fiona muttered as she waved at Melissa. Melissa waved back at her with a small smile before leaving the bakery.

From that day forward, Melissa became a regular at Fiona’s bakery, always ordering the same dessert without fail. It quickly became a quiet routine—one that both women grew fond of.

Fiona especially looked forward to those moments, always making sure she was the one to serve her. She genuinely enjoyed Melissa’s presence, finding comfort in their easy conversations and the calm familiarity that came with her visits.

What started as a simple customer interaction slowly blossomed into something meaningful, a small but cherished part of Fiona’s day.

She never really had an older woman in her life to talk to, except Tacha whom she took as an elder sister. Talking to Melissa was like taking in a breath of fresh air; it was very comforting.

《》《》《》《》《》《》

Later that day, the once full bakery became almost empty. Fiona sighed tiredly; she had tended to every customers that came in without taking a breathing moment and now, she was famished.

She decided to close up but first, she had to continue with her conversation with Tacha. She walked back into the kitchen only to see that Tacha was still in the same state she had left her in.

"Tacha.." Fiona called out in worry but Tacha jumped in surprise. She was so deep in her thoughts that she didn't realize that Fiona was with her.

"What's wrong with you today? Why are you so lost in thought??" Fiona asked as she walked closer to her.

Tacha opened her mouth to speak, then hesitated, closing it again. It was clear she was caught in a moment of indecision, silently weighing whether to open up to Fiona or simply keep it to herself.

After a long pause and much internal debate, she finally let out a quiet breath and made up her mind.

"It's nothing.. I'm fine." Tacha answered. Fiona stared at her suspiciously, not believing her answer.

"You know you can talk to me.. I'm your friend remember.." Fiona reminded.

"I know and I'm telling you that there's nothing wrong with me." Tacha lied again.

"Why don't you want to talk to me?? Wait.. is it about a romantic relationship?? Is a girl making you act this way??" Fiona asked again in a teasing tone.

Before Tacha could reply, they heard the bells at the entrance door jingle, indicating they had a new customer.

"I’ll go attend to the customer," Tacha muttered quickly, using it as an excuse to escape the kitchen and avoid answering Fiona’s question. Without waiting for a response, she hurried out, hoping the conversation would end there.

But Fiona wasn’t about to let it go that easily. Determined to get answers, she followed Tacha straight into the bakery’s main hall, unwilling to drop the subject so soon.

"You're trying to avoid my question right?? We are not done with this conversation.. you need to tell me..." Fiona’s question died down when she noticed the dark look on Tacha’s face.

She traced Tacha’s gaze to see who had made her mood change all of a sudden and her eyes landed on a cheerful looking man staring back at Tacha.

"You haven't been picking up my calls. How have you been??" The man asked as he tried to approach her but she moved away.

His eyes darkened by what she did. Before he could attack her with words, Fiona stepped into the awkward situation.

"Who are you??" She asked as she walked closer to them. The man's eyes darted toward Fiona and his foul expression became worse.

"Is she your new fling??" He asked angrily as he pointed at Fiona.

Fiona was visibly taken aback by his sudden and unexpected confrontation, her expression a mix of confusion and disbelief. She opened her mouth, ready to clear up the misunderstanding immediately, but before she could utter a word, Tacha gently reached out and held her back.

Her eyes met Fiona’s with a silent, pleading look—one that said, not now, please. Fiona froze, the words caught in her throat, as she realized there was more going on than she understood.

Fiona decided not to say anything but she couldn't let the man stay as his presence bothered Tacha.

"You need to leave." She said to the man as she walked over to him.

"Who are you to tell me what to do?? I'm not leaving here without an explanation. Tacha.. who's this bitch??" He yelled out as he tried to approach Tacha again but Fiona stood in front of him, blocking his way.

"This bitch is the one who won’t hesitate to use force if you don’t leave right now," Fiona said in a low, threatening tone. Her cold, unflinching stare locked onto him, sending an involuntary shiver down his spine. There was no doubt—she meant every word.

He was immediately intimidated by her words and gaze. He swallowed hard and then looked at Tacha.

"Don't think this is the end.. I'll be back!!" He said as he turned to leave.

"No, you won't.. Now leave and don't ever show your face in front of her again!!" Fiona yelled as she escorted him out of the bakery.

After confirming that he had finally left, she turned to head back into the bakery, ready to put the confrontation behind her. But just as she reached for the door, her phone buzzed in her pocket. Glancing at the screen, she saw Louis’s name flashing. He was calling.

"Hello." She called out as she placed the phone to her ear.

"Fiona.. you need to come down to the pack's hospital." The urgency in his tone made Fiona worry.

She was about to ask what was wrong when she heard Kelvin crying in the background. His cries made her heart leap. Without wasting any more time, she rushed over to the pack's hospital.

TBC