Wuju Bakery

I loved eating cakes. My dad would bring me one every day after work, and my mom bought a full set of oven and baking tools, patiently learning how to bake them for me. I once thought I was the happiest little princess in the world until the day my parents divorced. The person who came to pick up my dad turned out to be the bakery owner. My mom turned to me, growling, "This is all your fault! If you hadn't asked for cakes every day, your dad never would've cheated!" She stretched out her hands, covered in burn scars, and screamed hysterically, "I slaved away making cakes for you, and these hands have never healed since. What did you do? You both think the stuff from outside is so much better!" She grabbed a baking sheet and smacked me hard with it. I bit my lip, not daring to make a sound. That night, she brought home a little girl. Ignoring the pain all over my body, I begged for her forgiveness. "Mom, I'm sorry. Please don't throw me away. I swear I'll never eat another cake!" She slapped me across the face, but that wasn't enough to quench her anger. She tossed me into the big oven. "I'm not your mom! You love cakes so much? Stay in there and reflect on what you've done! You and your worthless dad both deserve to die!" After she slammed the door and stormed out, the little girl skipped over to the oven, grinning smugly as she hit the switch. "From now on, your mom is gonna be mine!" The oven kicked on, and the temperature began to rise. I smiled bitterly. At least this way, my mom could finally be happy.

Denis Aditya Wibisono, pemuda lajang 24 tahun, anak kedua dari Adi Wibisono, Direktur di WW Tech, yang memiliki mimpi menjadi pelukis, serta membangun galeri seni dan toko bakery, harus berurusan dengan Nadia Dewanti Wardoyo. Anak tunggal Seno Wardoyo, Presiden Direktur WW Tech. Nadia awalnya adalah tunangan mendiang kakak Denis, yaitu David Anggara Wibisono, yang direncanakan akan menggantikan posisi Adi Wibisono di Direktur, saat Adi naik posisi ke Wakil Presiden Direktur nanti. Nadia yang merupakan pewaris utama WW Tech dan calon Presiden Direktur selanjutnya, kemudian menawarkan kepada Denis untuk menggantikan posisi David sebagai tunangan dan akan menikah dengannya nanti, agar Denis terbebas dari tuntutan posisi Direktur di WW Tech, karena Adi memiliki saham juga di perusahaan tersebut. Masalahnya, Denis harus menurut pada setiap permintaan Nadia, yang adalah janda berusia 32 tahun, tak hanya menjadi suami pengganti, tapi juga kaki tangan setia dia. Apa sebenarnya motif Nadia mengajak Denis bekerjasama dengannya dalam pernikahan kontrak tanpa cinta itu? Lantas, manakah yang akan Denis pilih, antara kebebasan meraih mimpi tapi hidup di bawah dominansi seorang Nadia, atau tak perlu berurusan dengan Nadia yang arogan tapi harus mau melepas mimpinya dan terjun ke dunia bisnis di perusahaan? Akan berakhir seperti apa pula, kisah dari Denis yang kaku dan tertutup, dengan sosok Nadia yang arogan tapi memiliki beban berat dalam hidupnya itu?

Why have one brother when I can have all three? “Is this what you do every time we’re not here?' he asks. “You get yourself off like this?” I shake my head, fucking myself on the dildo. “No. No, it’s just today,” I gasp out. “I just… needed it.” Luke’s jaw clenches. “I’ve heard you. At night.” My stomach flips. I thought I was being quiet, but I guess not quiet enough. “Luke—” I didn’t mean to tell my entire family that I’m dating my ex’s three older brothers…But to be fair, the lie wasn’t even my fault. When my ex asked if I’d be bringing a plus-one to his holiday wedding (to my sister, by the way–don’t even get me started about that). I lied. I probably should’ve been prepared for followup questions, but when my ex asked who I’m dating, I drew a complete blank. That’s when his three gorgeous older brothers spoke up… at the same time. Now my family thinks I’m dating all three of them, Elijah, Luke, and Benedict. To make things even more complicated, they don’t seem to get along at all, and I may have given my v-card to Elijah six years ago before he ghosted me after one night. My life is chaotic enough as it is, trying to keep my tiny bakery afloat during the Christmas rush. The last thing I need is all three brothers coming after me. This is all supposed to be fake… even if the tension between us feels alarmingly real.I already fell for one Montgomery brother and got my heart broken. What would happen if I dare to let myself fall for three?

A year ago, my life was simple. I was just Ariel Anthony…a regular college student, cheerleader with decent grades, daughter of a struggling baker, and recently appointed step-sister to a guy I barely knew. Nothing special. Then came the storm. Not just the thunderstorm that trapped me in Professor Grayson's apartment that night, but the storm that followed. The one that's still raging around me, that I created. They don't warn you about men like Luther Grayson in freshman orientation. They don't tell you how a single glance from the right person can make you question everything you thought you knew about yourself. About what you want. About what you'd risk to get it. They also don't warn you about guys like Ethan Cross, with his perfect smile hiding something dark. The kind of guy who's used to getting what he wants and doesn't understand the meaning of the word "no." And no one, absolutely no one…prepares you for what it feels like when the person who's supposed to be your brother looks at you with something else in his eyes. Mom once said I had a gift for making complicated situations worse. If she only knew. My phone buzzed beside me, and I glanced down to see Luther's name on the screen. My heart still jumps every time, even when I'm aware of what could happen if people learned about the two of us. I should ignore it. I should block his number, focus on my classes, help Mom with the bakery, and pretend none of this ever happened. But I'm already reaching for the phone. That's the thing about crossing lines… once you step over them, it's almost impossible to step back. And I've crossed so many lines now, I can't even see where I started.