Lara stood behind the counter at Sweet Haven, her hazel eyes fierce, her curly brown hair tied back, her pink apron dusted with flour. Victor, the rival baker, had just left after his offer to buy the bakery (Chapter 17), and his words still stung—"Take the money and walk away, or I'll outbid you into the ground." But Lara wasn't giving up. Ethan stood beside her, his green eyes steady, his black hair messy, his white shirt rolled up at the sleeves, ready to fight for their dream.
"We're not selling," Lara said, her voice firm, her hands clenched. "This place is ours. We'll make it work."
Ethan grinned, his hand finding hers, his touch warm. "Let's go bigger—'Fake Date Bake: Part Two.' We'll get every teen in the city baking here, posting online, making this place the spot to be." His idea sparked hope, and Lara nodded, her heart lifting at his optimism, their teamwork stronger than ever.
The event was a hit—teens flooded the bakery, their laughter echoing, their phones out as they baked with friends and crushes, hashtags like #FakeDateBake2 trending online. Lara and Ethan worked the crowd, handing out cookies, snapping pics, their flirty banter making the teens giggle—"You're stealing my frosting, Ethan!" Lara teased, smearing some on his nose, his laugh lighting up her world.
But Victor wasn't done. He spread lies online—posts claiming Sweet Haven used expired ingredients, scaring off some customers, the comments section blowing up with drama. The teens rallied, defending Lara and Ethan with posts of their own—"These cookies are 🔥, haters stay mad!"—but the damage was done, and sales dipped.
As the event ended, a stern woman in a gray suit arrived—a health inspector, her clipboard in hand, her voice cold. "We got a tip about violations—expired goods, unsafe conditions. I need to inspect everything, now. If you fail, you're shut down."
Lara's heart sank, her hazel eyes darting to Ethan, his face pale, both of them knowing Victor was behind this, his dirty tricks threatening to destroy Sweet Haven for good.
To be continued…