Chapter 12
I never would’ve guessed Sloane was actually my landlord.
1 double–checked the name on the lease, and Sloane said it was her mom’s name.
Apparently, her mom was off deep sea fishing in the Pacific and left Sloane in charge of everything.
So technically, yeah–it’s hers.
I just stood there, jaw on the floor… and swiped every single cupcake from her display case.
Didn’t pay a dime.
But I showed up the next day to settle up and told her it was just a little joke.
I knew she didn’t need the money, so I brought her a little art piece to display in the shop–something to fill the empty spot she always hesitated over.
Just a small thank–you for helping me yesterday.
Sloane didn’t make a fuss.
She just asked, “So… are you guys trying to edge her out?”
She meant the plan my partner and I had been tossing around–she’d overheard bits and pieces here and there.
Then she said, “Honestly, you two are being way too nice about this.
Let me show you how to kick her out clean–and get her to cough up some cash on the way out.”
My partner jumped on that idea.
“She screwed you over for years.”
“A little compensation for emotional damage doesn’t sound unreasonable.”
I thought it over and said, sure, why not.
When Sloane gets serious, it’s a whole different vibe.
Next day, she ditched the teddy bear apron, walked into my office in a tailored suit, and I was floored.
My assistant grabbed my arm, whispering with stars in her eyes.
Two words summed it up:
Total smoke–show.
21.04
Pregnant for Three Months: My Husband and Sons Locked Me in a Coffin
37.0%
She went after Lena like a hammer to plass.
Within three days, Lena bailed from the Harbor City market completely,
Right before she left, she came to see me.
“Did you tell her to go after me like that?”
I didn’t confirm or deny it.
She just smiled faintly.
“It’s fine. If that’s what makes you happy, then I can take it.”
I never thought Lena would turn out to be such a masochist.
“Lena, look ahead. There’s no future for us.”
She gave me a bitter smile, nodded slightly, and walked away.
After that?
She never tried to mess with my life again.
Under Sloane’s boot–camp level coaching, my partner and I packed up and moved out of our shared office faster than I thought humanly possible.
We officially launched our own company.
And threw a launch party–right there in her bakery.
We turned that sweet–smelling little cake shop, usually full of buttercream and espresso, into a full–on spicy hot pot
war zone.
She still had that annoying little tablet mounted by the register, always blasting the kind of news no one wanted to
hear.
That day’s headline?
The overnight darling of the first half of the year was crashing hard–Lena Rhodes, CEO of Rhodes Corp, had just stepped down, citing personal accountability.
Bankruptcy proceedings were underway.
I grabbed the remote and switched the screen to a comedy show.
Something loud, dumb, and full of laughter.
We raised our glasses, the three of us together.
Chapter 12
“To a future that’s bright, bold, and burnin‘ with glory.”
Chapter 1
Chapter 1
