Lara stood frozen in Sweet Haven's kitchen, her hands dusted with flour, her hazel eyes locked on Claire Monroe—Ethan's ex, who'd just stormed into the bakery (Chapter 11). Claire's blonde hair was sleek, her blue eyes cold, her red coat a sharp contrast to the bakery's soft pastels. Ethan stood between them, his green eyes wide with panic, his black hair messy, his white shirt still dusted with flour from their earlier mishap.
"Claire, what are you doing here?" Ethan asked, his voice tight, his hands clenched at his sides.
Claire crossed her arms, her smile sharp, calculated. "You owe me, Ethan. Five hundred bucks from two years ago—plus interest. That's two thousand now. Pay up by the end of the week, or I'll tell everyone you're a broke fraud. Your photography career will be over."
Lara's stomach dropped, her heart racing—Ethan's studio, his dream, was already hanging by a thread after the creditor's threat (Chapter 9). She stepped forward, her voice shaky but firm. "You can't just barge in and threaten him. We'll figure this out."
Claire laughed, her blue eyes narrowing on Lara. "Oh, sweetie, you don't even know him. He's got secrets—things he hasn't told you. Right, Ethan?" Her words dripped with venom, and Lara's chest tightened, jealousy and doubt creeping in.
Ethan turned to Lara, his green eyes pleading. "She's lying to scare us, Lara. I don't owe her anything—I paid her back years ago. She's just trying to mess with me." But his voice wavered, and Lara saw the uncertainty in his eyes, the same uncertainty she'd felt when he hid his debt (Chapter 5).
The tension exploded into an argument, Lara's voice rising. "You said no more secrets, Ethan! How am I supposed to trust you when your past keeps showing up like this?" Ethan snapped back, "I'm trying to protect you—I didn't ask for Claire to come here!"
They stood in silence, the air heavy, until Lara grabbed a mixing bowl, her hands trembling. "Let's just… bake. I can't think straight." They stayed up late, baking cookies in the dim kitchen light, the smell of chocolate calming their nerves. Ethan reached for her hand, his touch soft, his voice low. "I'll fix this, Lara. I love you—I'm not going anywhere."
She nodded, her hazel eyes softening, their fingers brushing as they worked, the closeness mending their fight. But as they finished, Claire's parting words echoed in Lara's mind—"He's got secrets"—and she couldn't shake the feeling that more trouble was coming.
To be continued…