Chapter 58: Our dream is finally taking shape

Lily leaned over. "Really?"

"Look."

Everyone crowded around the screen. There were dozens of photos of the bakery.

Pictures of colorful pastries. Freshly baked bread. The cozy interior. Even short videos of customers praising the desserts.

The comments section was overflowing.

"Their strawberry cheesecake is amazing!"

"Finally found my new favorite bakery."

"Worth every penny."

"Going back tomorrow!"

Silvia smiled warmly. "No wonder we’ve been so busy."

Gen kept scrolling before suddenly bursting into laughter.

"Oh!"

She looked directly at Clara. "I think I found the real reason."

Clara, who had been quietly stirring her soup without actually eating it, looked up absentmindedly.

"Hm?"

Gen held up the phone.

"People aren’t just talking about the pastries."

"They’re talking about our beautiful owner."

Clara blinked.

"...What?"

Lily immediately grabbed the phone. "Oh my goodness..." She laughed. "They’re calling you ’the beautiful baker.’"

Silvia leaned over. "Someone even wrote that they came back just to see madame again."

Gen wiggled her eyebrows.

"Oho...our boss has become famous."

Clara barely glanced at the screen before returning her attention to her soup.

"I’d rather they come back for the cakes."

"Aww." Gen nudged her shoulder. "Don’t act so humble. You’ve got admirers now. Should we start charging people for taking pictures with you?"

Clara sighed.

"I’m trying to eat."

"You’re trying to avoid the topic."

"I am."

The table burst into laughter again. Normally, Clara would’ve argued back. Today, however...her thoughts were somewhere else entirely.

She unconsciously rested her chin on her hand. Is he still thinking about last night?

The moment that thought crossed her mind, Clara nearly dropped her spoon.

Wait... Does he remember everything I said?

Her eyes slowly widened.

...No. Please don’t.

Then another horrifying possibility struck her.

What if he remembers all of it?

Her face gradually turned red.

Gen frowned.

"Boss?"

"..."

"Clara?"

Still nothing.

Gen snapped her fingers in front of her face.

"Earth to Clara!"

Clara jumped. "Huh?"

Gen crossed her arms.

"You’ve been staring at that spoon for the last five minutes."

Lily smiled knowingly. "Thinking about your husband?"

Clara nearly choked on her juice.

"W-What?"

Her flustered reaction answered the question better than words ever could.

Everyone exchanged amused looks before bursting into laughter.

Just as Clara was about to defend herself, the cheerful chime above the bakery door rang.

Everyone instinctively turned toward the entrance.

A tall man in a neatly pressed suit stepped inside.

His sharp gaze swept across the bakery before settling on Clara.

"Excuse me."

His polite voice cut through the laughter.

"Which one of you is Miss Clara Hayes?"

The lively atmosphere instantly quieted.

Clara slowly stood from her chair.

"...I’m Clara."

The stranger gave a courteous nod.

"I’ve been looking for you."

"..."

***

"I heard your bakery recently opened and has already started gaining attention online," the man said with a polite smile. "That’s why I’m here today—with an offer that could help your business grow even further."

After the lunch break, Clara invited him to one of the small seating areas away from the other staff.

She sat across from the well-dressed man, who carried himself with quiet confidence. Judging by his demeanor alone, it was obvious he wasn’t an ordinary businessman.

For a brief moment, Clara couldn’t help feeling overwhelmed.

Ever since she had opened the bakery, everything had been moving faster than she had imagined. What had started as a simple dream to fulfill her late mother’s wish was slowly becoming a reality.

Her gaze drifted to the business card he had handed her moments ago.

**Prestine Enterprise.**

The name wasn’t unfamiliar.

Prestine Enterprise was one of the largest corporations in the country, with branches spread across the world. Its influence rivaled that of the Sterling Group, yet unlike many companies of its size, Prestine had never competed directly with Sterling. The two business giants had always remained in separate industries, an unusual balance that had lasted for years.

The company itself was almost as mysterious as its owner, a man who rarely appeared in public and preferred to stay away from the media.

"Our company is hosting a charity gala next month," the man continued, drawing Clara’s attention back to the conversation. "We’d like your bakery to provide the desserts for the event."

Clara blinked in surprise.

For a few seconds, she simply stared at him.

Then she smiled politely.

"May I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Did someone recommend my bakery to your company?" she asked honestly. "It’s difficult to believe that a corporation as established as Prestine Enterprise would approach a small bakery that’s only been open for a few days."

She wasn’t trying to be modest.

She was simply being cautious.

The opportunity sounded almost too good to be true.

The man smiled, seemingly expecting the question.

"No one recommended you."

He folded his hands on the table.

"I visited your bakery a few days ago while searching for a local supplier."

Clara looked at him with surprise.

"I prefer evaluating businesses personally rather than relying on reports."

He smiled faintly.

"The crowd outside caught my attention first."

"But what convinced me wasn’t the number of customers."

"It was the quality of your desserts."

"I ordered several items that day."

"The cheesecake, fruit tarts, and butter croissants all exceeded my expectations."

He paused before adding sincerely,

"If I’m going to represent our company’s charity event, I want to serve food I genuinely enjoy."

Clara studied his expression carefully.

There wasn’t the slightest hint of dishonesty.

No hidden agenda.

No exaggerated praise.

He spoke like someone simply stating the truth.

That alone eased the caution lingering in her heart.

After a moment of thought, Clara smiled.

"In that case..."

She extended her hand across the table.

"I’d be happy to accept the offer."

The man returned the handshake with a nod of appreciation.

"I’m glad to hear that."

He stood, straightening his suit jacket.

"You already have my card."

"Save my number, and I’ll contact you once the event schedule and requirements are finalized."

"I’ll send you all the details."

"Of course."

Clara walked him to the entrance.

"Thank you for considering our bakery."

"The pleasure is ours, Miss Clara."

With one final courteous nod, the man stepped outside and disappeared into the busy street.

Clara remained standing at the doorway for a few moments before looking down at the elegant business card in her hand.

A smile slowly spread across her face.

Her bakery had only been open for a few days...

Yet opportunities were already finding their way to her.

She unlocked her phone, entered the number printed on the card, and saved it under Mr. Adrian - Prestine Enterprise

Looking at the newly saved contact, Clara couldn’t help but whisper to herself,

"Mom... I hope you’re watching. Our dream is finally taking shape."

***

[Meanwhile, at Hayes Enterprise]

"What do you mean they rejected our proposal?"

Vincent Hayes slammed the file onto his desk, his furious roar echoing through the office. The assistant standing before him instinctively lowered his head, not daring to meet his employer’s eyes.

"I-I’m sorry, Boss..."

"Sorry?" Vincent barked. "Is that all you have to say?" His expression darkened.

"We’ve spent nearly two months trying to arrange a meeting with Prestine Enterprise. Every appointment was postponed, every proposal delayed, and now you’re telling me they’ve rejected us without even giving us a chance to negotiate?"

"I... yes, boss."

Across the office, Julianna, who had been sitting quietly on the sofa, frowned.

"But that doesn’t make sense." She crossed her legs elegantly. "We were confident this project would fall into our hands. Our proposal was one of the strongest."

The assistant swallowed nervously before answering.

"Boss... Miss Julianna... I contacted Prestine Enterprise again this morning."

"And?"

"They informed us that they have already finalized the dessert supplier for their upcoming charity gala."

Silence filled the room, but soon Vincent’s brows knitted together.

"They’ve already chosen someone?"

"Yes, sir."

His face turned grim. "Which company?"

The assistant hesitated.

"I..."

"Speak!"

Vincent’s voice thundered through the office once more. The poor assistant nearly flinched.

"They said they had already found a bakery whose products met their expectations."

Vincent narrowed his eyes.

"A bakery?"

"Yes."

"For the charity event, Prestine Enterprise wanted handcrafted desserts rather than products from a large-scale manufacturer."

Julianna exchanged a confused glance with her father.

"Who did they choose?"

The assistant’s fingers tightened around the folder in his hands.

He opened his mouth. Then closed it again. His hesitation didn’t escape Vincent’s notice.

"What is it?"

"N-Nothing, boss..."

"Then answer the question."

The assistant looked as though he wanted the ground to swallow him whole.

"Boss... I don’t think you’ll like the answer."

Vincent’s expression instantly darkened. "Since when did I ask whether I’d like it? I asked you a question. Who did Prestine Enterprise choose?"

The assistant inhaled deeply. "...Miss Clara."

The office fell deathly silent.

For several long seconds, neither Vincent nor Julianna spoke. They simply stared at him.

"...What did you say?" Vincent’s voice was frighteningly calm, causing the assistant to lower his head even further.

"Prestine Enterprise selected Miss Clara’s bakery to provide all the desserts for their charity gala."

Crack.

The pen in Vincent’s hand snapped cleanly in two as the sound echoed inside the silent room.