Then my phone pierces the moment with its shrill ring.
27
Bella
The moment I answer the phone my heart sinks at the urgency in Nick's voice.
"Bella, thank god. I need you at the store. Emma's... she's not okay. I can't get through to her."
The fear in his voice sends a chill down my spine. "What's wrong?"
"Just... please come. She needs you."
"I'm on my way." I end the call, already moving to gather my things. "Something's wrong with Emma."
Ares pulls his shirt back on, and I watch the change ripple through him like a wave. The tender lover from moments ago disappears beneath something harder, more dangerous. His jaw sets into granite lines, shoulders squaring as if preparing for battle. When he turns to me, his eyes have gone dark and calculating.
"I'm coming with you."
When we arrive at Simply Irresistible, the 'CLOSED' sign in the middle of the afternoon makes my stomach drop like a stone. Ares exits the car first, his gaze sweeping the street with predatory focus. He positions himself slightly in front of me as we approach the door, one hand at the small of my back. The casual gesture looks protective to anyone watching, but I feel the tension thrumming through him—a caged lion ready to strike.
"Oh god." The words escape in a whisper as we push through the door, the bell's cheerful jingle a jarring contrast to the tension radiating through the air.
Ares's hand tightens on my waist as he takes in the scene, cataloging every detail with those sharp Saint eyes. I recognize that look now—he's not just seeing the destruction; he's looking for patterns, for signs, for proof of whatever this is.
The scene inside stops me cold. Emma—always put-together, always smiling Emma—stands in the middle of her pristine kitchen, surrounded by destroyed pastries and cakes. Her hands shake as she pulls another tray from the display case, dumping perfectly good cupcakes into an already overflowing garbage bin.
"Emma?" My voice cracks as I take in the devastation.
She looks up, and the raw panic in her eyes hits me like a physical blow. Flour dusts her cheeks, tear tracks cutting through the white powder like rivers through snow. "I have to start over. All of it. Everything has to be perfect."
Nick hovers nearby, relief flooding his face when he sees me. "She's been like this for hours. I can't... I can't reach her."
"The reviews keep coming." Emma's voice wavers as she yanks open another display case. "One star. Two stars. 'Found hair in my cake.' 'Got sick after eating here.' 'Worst bakery experience ever.'" Each word falls like a stone, building a wall of despair around her. "And now the health department—they're coming tomorrow because of complaints about food poisoning and allergic reactions and—"
"Hey, hey." I move closer, careful, like approaching a wounded animal. "Emma, look at me."
She shakes her head, tears spilling fresh. "I have to fix this. I have to make it right."
"By throwing away perfectly good food?" I gesture at the immaculate kitchen around us, gleaming under the fluorescent lights. "This place is spotless. Your food is amazing. You know that. I know that. Everyone who's ever tasted your creations knows that."
"Do I?" Her laugh is hollow, bordering on hysterical. "Because according to these reviews, I'm serving contaminated food in a dirty kitchen. Everything I've worked for and built—it's falling apart, and I can't..." Her voice breaks. "I can't lose this place. It's all I have."
Behind me, I hear Ares and Nick talking in low, urgent tones, but I keep my focus on Emma, on the friend who's always been my rock, now crumbling before my eyes. "You're not going to lose anything."
"You don't know that!" The words explode out of her. "The reviews—they're killing my business. New customers see those ratings and stay away. Regular customers are canceling orders. I have a wedding cake due next week, and they just called to cancel because they saw the reviews about food poisoning. And on top of that, someone from the health inspection is coming by tomorrow." Fresh tears spill down her cheeks. "This is my dream, Bella. What if I lose it?"
My throat tightens as I watch my best friend fall apart, the strongest of us reduced to this trembling shadow. The kitchen gleams under the fluorescent lights, every surface sanitized to perfection. Emma's always been meticulous about cleanliness—it's one of her defining traits. These complaints, these reviews... they're not random. They're targeted.
Just like the ‘postponed’ gallery event.
Just like Amanda's supplier problems and mysterious flood.
The realization hits me like ice water in my veins. I turn to find Ares watching me, and I see the same knowledge in his eyes.
"Emma." I grab her hands, stilling their trembling. "Listen to me. This isn't your fault. None of this is your fault."
She blinks at me through tears. "How can you say that?"
