บททั้งหมดของ Reclaiming the Love We Lost: บทที่ 311 - บทที่ 320

The phone call came just before breakfast. Lydia was standing in the kitchen, spreading butter over a slice of toast while Aurelia sat in her high chair, happily playing with a spoon. Adrian was pouring coffee when his phone rang. He glanced at the screen. "Hello?" His expression changed almost immediately. Lydia looked up. "What's wrong?" Adrian listened for several seconds. "Yes. Of course. We'll be there." He ended the call. Lydia immediately knew. "The school?" He nodded. "They want to see us." Her stomach tightened. "About Hayes?" "Yes." *** Thirty minutes later, Lydia and Adrian walked into Hayes' school together. The familiar hallway felt strangely different. Lydia held Adrian's hand for a moment before letting go. "I hate school meetings." Adrian gave her a faint smile. "Me too." "Even when you were a child?" "Especially then." She looked at him. "You got into trouble?" "Occasionally." "Occasionally?" He smiled. "Fine. More than occasion

Vera Lin couldn't stop thinking about Lydia. The conversation outside the school had unsettled her more than she wanted to admit. At first, she had been irritated. Then embarrassed. But now... she was curious. There was something about Lydia that didn't fit the image Vera had created in her head. Lydia hadn't bragged about being married to Adrian Wolfe. She hadn't threatened Vera. She hadn't even mentioned the bakery when Vera had insulted her. She had simply stood there and remained calm. That bothered Vera. If Lydia really was the spoiled wife of a billionaire, as Vera had assumed... why didn't she behave like one? That evening, Vera sat behind the counter of Lin's Bakery after closing. The lights were dim. The street outside was quieter than usual. She opened her laptop. Her fingers hovered above the keyboard. Then she typed: Lydia Wolfe bakery New York Several articles appeared. Vera clicked the first one. Nothing. The second. Nothing. Then she saw a head

By the following Friday, the tension between the two bakeries had begun to settle. At least, that was what Lydia believed. Vera had posted her public message. She had stopped making comments to customers. She hadn't approached Lydia at school again. For several days, there had been no new rumors. Lydia allowed herself to believe that perhaps the worst was over. She was wrong. The problem began at a small local business networking event held at a community center several blocks from Lydia's Heart. The event was supposed to be simple: local restaurant owners, café operators, small business managers, and food suppliers gathered to exchange contacts and discuss the challenges of running businesses in New York. Vera had attended several times before. That evening, she sat near the front of the room while a local business association representative spoke about competition among neighborhood businesses. "Healthy competition benefits everyone," he said. "Local businesses sho

The morning after Adrian's legal team sent the formal notice, Lydia's Heart was surrounded by cameras. News vans lined the street, reporters stood near the entrance, and customers slowed down as they walked past. Everyone wanted the same thing: the truth. For days, Lydia had avoided the media. She didn't want to turn her personal life into entertainment, but now the accusations were affecting her business. Her employees were being questioned, her suppliers were nervous, and strangers were debating her marriage online. So, Lydia finally agreed to one interview—not because she wanted attention, but because she wanted to tell her own story. The interview took place inside the bakery after closing. A local business journalist named Rachel Morgan sat across from Lydia at one of the small tables near the window, with a camera positioned between them. Adrian stood several feet away. He wasn't part of the interview, nor was he answering questions—he was simply there. Rachel smiled p

Saturday morning arrived with the kind of chaos Lydia had almost forgotten she enjoyed. The bakery was already busy before ten: the espresso machine hissed continuously, the ovens were running, and Julian was calling out orders from the kitchen while two employees rushed between the counter and the tables. Lydia stood behind the register checking the morning inventory when the bell above the entrance rang. She looked up and froze. Adrian Wolfe walked into the bakery. He wasn't wearing his usual tailored suit, carrying his laptop, or surrounded by assistants. He was wearing a simple white shirt with the sleeves rolled up—and in his hand was an apron. Lydia stared at him. "What are you doing?" Adrian smiled. "Working." She looked at the apron, then at him. "You?" "Me." "You don't know how to bake." "I can learn." Lydia laughed. "Who told you that you could come back here?" "You." "I did not." "You said I was welcome at my wife's bakery." "I said you're welcome