The morning after the auction, Adrian had just finished with his morning routine, when he remembered that he hadn’t told Anita the good news about the outcome of the previous night, so he decided to call her. “Hey, Adrian,” Anita’s gentle voice rang out through the receiver. “I was just about to call you. Were you able to succeed at the auction last night?” “Hey Anita,” Adrian replied and was about to tell her the truth, when he had a mischievous idea to pull her legs a little. He instantly feigned a somber tone as he began explaining. “I’m sorry, Anita, I wasn’t able to. Nathan derailed my plans and I couldn’t get the jade pipe. I also wasn’t able to get the evidence regarding your father. I know your hopes must be dashed right now.” Anita sighed audibly from the other end of the line and was about to speak, but someone else interjected in a nagging voice—it was Regina. It turns out that Anita had put the phone on speaker while getting dressed for work and Regina had been by h
Later that afternoon, Adrian arrived at Happy Desserts Bakery, an enigmatic one storey building with a brown brick exterior. A giant cupcake-shaped signboard hung proudly from the highest point of the building with the words, ‘Happy Desserts Bakery’ displayed in neon letters on it. A smaller signboard was also placed by the side of the bakery’s entrance, with the words, ‘Wibston’s 15th Annual Bake-off’ boldly inscribed on it. Adrian placed his hand on the brass handle of the glass door and pushed it open, the aroma of freshly baked treats enveloping him in the process. As he glanced around the spacious interior of the bakery, he saw bakers, each dressed in a different colored uniform with a name tag indicating their bakery, standing in their respective stations as they buzzed with anticipation for the start of the competition. He pulled out his phone and was about to call Vincent to ask him if he had arrived, when he spotted Ashley talking to Vincent at her station. And as if she
Fred’s eyes narrowed, his nostrils flaring like that of a bull. “You dare be so brazen as to challenge me?!” “Ignore him, sir.” Maya interjected, her distaste for Adrian growing by the second. “He’s not worth your anger at all.” A smirk grew on Adrian’s lips. “If he ignores me, that means he’s a big coward.” his smirk then widened as he raised a brow at Fred. “Are you going to be a big coward?” Steam could almost be seen coming out of Fred’s ears as his face reddened. “I’m not a coward!” he gritted and puffed out his chest. “I face whatever challenges thrown at me head on and I always win. So try me!” “Now that’s the spirit!” Adrian cheered, his tone laced with sarcasm. “The bet is simply ‘winner takes all.’ Whoever ends up winning the bake-off between this bakery and your bakery, gets ownership of the loser’s bakery.” Ashley and Vincent simultaneously turned to look at Adrian, their eyes widening as they looked at him like he had grown two heads. “What do you think you’re
The host dragged out the anticipation for a moment longer, before he finally announced the winner. “Ashley Stevens of Happy Desserts Bakery!” The crowd erupted in cheers and Adrian and Vincent stood out in the audience as they gave Ashley ecstatic grins with their thumbs up. Ashley also mirrored their expressions as she mouthed, “I’m so glad I won this round.” Maya huffed and stomped her feet in anger. Then, she glanced at Fred with an exasperated expression on her face, and he subtly gestured for her to follow him with a head nod. He then stood up and walked out of the main bakery hall, and after a few minutes, Maya secretly sneaked out and followed in the direction Fred had just left in Shortly after, Adrian felt like using the restroom, and turned to Vincent. “Mr. Davies, do you have any idea where the restrooms are? I need to relieve myself before the second round begins.” “Yes I do, son. Once you make a turn by that hallway over there,” he gestured towards a narrow hallway
The entire baking hall fell silent as all eyes turned to Adrian who sported a calm expression. Maya's smug smirk faltered and was replaced by a look of shock, while Fred's expression hardened, his eyes narrowing in anger. “W-what are you talking about?” Maya stumbled out, as she feigned surprise. “I’m talking about the fact that you intentionally poisoned your own pastry,” Adrian replied in a disgusted voice. “You also planned to put the blame on your fellow competitor from Happy Desserts Bakery, Ashley Stevens, in order to sabotage her chances of winning this competition, isn’t that right?” A collective gasp erupted from the crowd. Even the host, the other bakers, and the judges were not left out of the rising tension. Maya's eyes widened as she pointed a trembling finger at Adrian. “He's lying! I-I never did any of that!” Fred’s veins sizzled with a mix of shock and rage. Adrian had somehow gotten to know about their plans, but he wasn’t going to admit to any of it. “Bumpkin!
After a few seconds of struggling to rein in his emotions, Fred took a deep breath. “I’ll hand over the bakery,” he muttered bitterly, and shakily reached into his suit pocket to pull out his phone. He then sent a text message to the manager of his bakery telling him to arrive at Happy Desserts with his bakery’s documents in a few minutes. “My manager will be here with the papers in a few minutes,” he informed Adrian in a strained voice, and his hands fell limply to his side as he sat on the floor, cradling his head in his hands, while mumbling incoherent words to himself. Maya immediately rushed to Fred, while still on her knees, and grabbed his arm in disbelief. “W-what are you doing, Mr. Fred? How can you admit defeat so easily?! You can’t just give up your bakery like that! I’d be left jobless!” “Let go of me, you wench!” Fred hissed as he violently yanked his arm out of Maya’s grip. “If you were competent enough, I wouldn’t have had to bribe my way into winning every damn t
Adrian and Anita sported stunned expressions as they glanced at each other and then back at Nathan and Lloyd. “What are you talking about, Nathan? You know that’s not—”“Anita,” Nathan interrupted. “What brings you here?” he asked, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips.Grandpa Lloyd’s eyes darted to Adrian and Anita and his eyes narrowed in curiosity. “I’d also like to know was well. I don’t remember inviting you.”Anita walked over to Grandpa Lloyd. “Grandfather, well, I actually came to present your jade pipe to you.”Lloyd’s brows formed a V. “You must be mistaken,” he frowned as he looked down at the box Nathan had just presented to him. He opened the box and retrieved the jade pipe nestled inside. Anita’s breath caught in her throat as she saw the jade pipe in Lloyd’s hands. It looked exactly like the one Adrian had bought at the action. She glanced back at Adrian, who seemed to share the same confusion as her. Grandpa Lloyd examined the jade pipe carefully before looking up a
As Grandpa Lloyd disappeared up the stairs, a wave of tense silence fell over the room as the weight of his words settled on Nathan and Anita like a thick cloud. Adrian noticed the way Anita fiddled with her fingers, and he placed a hand over them in an attempt to calm her anxiety. “Don’t overthink it,” he reassured softly. “Whatever the task turns out be, I know you’ll tackle it like a champ.” Nathan scoffed loudly as he rose up from his seat. “Not if I have anything to do about it,” he challenged, his eyes flashing with hostility before he stormed out of the living room. Adrian squeezed Anita’s hand gently. “Ignore him. He’s just insecure and feels threatened by you. And truthfully, he should be,” Adrian’s lips tugged up in a playful smirk. “…because you’re definitely getting that title.” “I hope so,” Anita managed a weak smile, not seeming convinced. “Come on,” Adrian said, rising to his feet and helping her up. “Let’s get you out of here. ” He draped one of her arms arou