All Chapters of Too Late To Want Me Back: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

47 Chapters

What I Lost

ADRIENNE I already signed the agreement to transfer ownership of the recipe with George. Saffron, one of the backers of the regional culinary showcase, was a key investor in the event, and George had enough influence to move things behind the scenes. Knowing Eddie and Lydia would be participating through The Ember Table, he set up a confidentiality agreement just for me. I would compete under a new identity, Seren and a mask throughout the showcase. At the right time, when the impact would be greatest, I would remove the mask and reveal myself. This was my idea and George loved it. He was sure my fans would love it too. Until then, only George would know who Seren really was. The showcase was focused on culinary skill and presentation, so the mask was just another hook to draw viewers in. Other chefs were pulling their own stunts too. No one questioned it. The name Seren was carefully chosen, symbolizing something bright that had been hidden too long. I really liked it. It f

Let's Meet: Marcus Warren

ADRIENNE The moment my eyelids shut and my mind drifted away, everything turned dark and scattered. At last, my mind cleared, and I found myself standing in the dim light of a grey, overcast day. It didn’t take long before I realized exactly where I was. Our family kitchen was warm and familiar. The smell of cooking food wrapped around me like a soothing and familiar. The stillness was soft, heavy in the way that only Sunday mornings could be. My mother – alive and well – stood at the stove with her back to me, humming her usual song. She was still in her bath robe, with her hair pinned loosely at the back of her head. She moved through that kitchen the way she always did – like it was an extension of her. Like that was the one place in the world where nobody could touch her. Her safe space. I had no idea why I was remembering this memory. Nothing interesting had happened that day. It was like every other normal day where I spent time with my mom, or didn’t. Because five minute

The Recipe Thief

ADRIENNE I stared at Marcus Warren's message for a long time. My thumb hovered over the screen, the cursor blinking at me like a dare. Why would Lydia's father want to meet me? why would he want no one to know we were meeting? Those questions hovered in my head. After everything that had happened at the gala - after he'd publicly defended me against his own daughter—what could he possibly have to say that couldn't be said over the phone? I was still staring at the message when my phone buzzed again, this time with a flood of notifications that made my eyes widen. Dozens of alerts lit up my screen. Trending topics. Hashtags. Videos. I tapped into them, my brow furrowing as I scrolled through the chaos. #TheEmberTable #LydiaWarrenCulinary #LydiasEmbrace #ChefLydia One of the links was a new video from Lydia's social media channel - posted less than an hour ago. I pressed play, my stomach churning as her face filled the screen. She appeared radiant and glowing

Her Little Secret Has Been Discovered

LYDIA I lounged on the settee in my dressing room, scrolling through the online chatter with a satisfied grin on my face. “Nicely done,” I said, speaking to my publicist over the phone. “Keep pushing Lydia’s Embrace everywhere. I want my name trending before the grand opening. Make sure every food blog, every entertainment page, every influencer is talking about me.” Once the call ended, I glanced over at Dana, my personal assistant, who stood near the door with that particular look on her face. The one she got when she had something to say but wasn’t sure she should say it. “Out with it,” I said, rolling my eyes impatiently. Dana shifted awkwardly, her fingers lacing together in front of her. “Are you sure about this, Miss Quinn?” she asked. “If Saffron decides to raise concerns about the usage agreement, we’ll bein very big trouble?” A dismissive laugh escaped my lips. “Isn’t the deal I signed with them generous enough? What more could they possibly want?” “But it still

Am I In Danger?

ADRIENNE A slow breath steadied my nerves as I forced my eyes shut, trying to find a moment of stillness. No matter how hard I tried, the clarity I needed never came. I abandoned the kitchen station and began packing up for the night. A glance at my phone showed the time - it was already pushing 9 PM. Fatigue sat heavy on my shoulders. I wiped my hands on my apron, shrugged it off, and decided tomorrow would have to be better. The endless demands of the day had hollowed me out completely. Without bothering to change my shoes, I threw my jacket over my shoulders and made my way toward the exit.Now that I thought about it, living as Ren had been exhausting. she had always been busy. Always had something to do. And now, I was juggling three identities. I almost laughed out loud. That would be hard for anyone. The city was alive outside, even at this hour. April had settled warmly over the streets below, neon lights pulsing through the building's windows, the hum of nightlife drift

What happened to the baby?

ADRIENNEThe pain hit me before I could make sense of it.It started low, sharp and insistent, cutting through the fading adrenaline like something was wrong in a way that had nothing to do with the concussion in my head. I pressed my hand against my stomach and felt the cold truth of it settle over me all at once.The baby.I thought about the parking garage - the way I had thrown myself sideways, sprinted hard across concrete, slammed into my seat just before the impact came. The force of the black car hitting mine. The way my whole body had jolted violently to the left, the seatbelt cutting into me like a blade. The second impact. The dizziness that came after.I had done all of that. My body had done all of that.And the baby had been through every second of it with me.Could my baby really be slipping away?I had spent weeks telling myself I wasn't ready. That the timing was impossible. That the terminating the pregnancy was the right choice - the only choice that made any sense

Is This Another Plot?

EDDIEI reviewed the contract spread across the conference table, exhausted after back-to-back meetings that had consumed the entire day.Several decisions still needed to be made before midnight. I had been working without pause since early afternoon, and the room around me had grown progressively quieter with each passing hour - everyone present was being very careful not to draw my attention.I tapped the table once with two fingers and kept reading."Who drafted this clause?" My tone was even, but the room stiffened regardless.A young associate at the far end of the table rose halfway from his chair. "That was me, Mr. Quinn."I looked at him. "Explain it."He opened his mouth. What came out was a tangle of justifications and half-formed reasoning that circled the actual problem without once landing on it. He knew he had made an error. We both knew it. The explanation was simply the performance that came before the acknowledgment."That's enough," I said.He stopped talking immedi

How Is Arlene?

EDDIE"She was hit by a car," Arlene said, her voice suddenly turning hard and cold and stripped of any emotion. "If you still have any conscience left, get over here."I slammed the brakes. The tires screeched against the asphalt, and the car came to a halt.A horn blared behind me, followed by a string of angry curses. But I barely heard them. My grip on the steering wheel tightened as Arlene's call cut off.Beside me, Lydia had heard everything. She said nothing at first, but then her phone buzzed with a new notification and she glanced down, then slowly tucked it away. Turning to me, her eyes widened with worry."Eddie… could something really have happened to her? We should go -now." Her voice trembled, full of concern. "This doesn't sound small. It sounds serious. Thank God she was brought to the hospital. And Arlene's there - her best friend. She'll be in good hands, but… Eddie, we should hurry. Adrienne called you so many times - it must've been important."She looked like she

The Spice Of Life: Before and After

ADRIENNEI found myself swallowed by pitch-black silence. The emptiness wrapped around me like cold fog, pulling me under.Something vital had slipped from my memory.Fear coiled tightly in my chest as I reached for a lifeline I couldn't grasp. My body felt like lead, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't make it move.Time seemed to stretch endlessly - until a faint glow appeared ahead. Summoning the last of my strength, I inched toward it.The light revealed a peaceful family scene inside a kitchen space. The counters were clean and sparkling and looked like it belonged to a chef who knew exactly what she was doing. Every single thing was in place and in the best possible state. Little version of myself stood at the kitchen counter, chopping vegetables in an irregular rhythm. The aroma drifting from the pot was something warm and familiar - my mother's signature stew.Curtains fluttered in the breeze through an old-fashioned window frame. Warm yellow sunlight spilled into the

The Fall: He Pushed Me?

Adrienne "Adrienne!" Arlene reacted the quickest, rushing forward to steady me. Standing with Lydia, Eddie narrowed his eyes as he studied me from head to toe, his gaze stopping to focus on the bandage across my forehead. I glanced from him to Lydia. "I asked what is going on here?" Before Arlene could answer, Eddie interrupted, his tone cold and sharp. His words were edged with sarcasm as he addressed me. "Looks like you're perfectly fine." My pale face and the simple bandage over my forehead only seemed to fuel Eddie's anger. I could see it in his eyes - the suspicion. Did he think I faked the accident just to make him leave Lydia and come here. I could still remember Arlene trying to call him as I slipped in and out of consciousness. I recalled trying to reach him as well when fear curled my guts. when I thought whoever had been chasing me would kill me. Those memories made my chest tighten. Now he was here and was suspecting me of what? putting on a show. I was co

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