Chapter 63: I’d resign on the first day

Clara and Dominic drove to the bakery, where they found several police cars parked outside. Inside, Gen was being questioned by the officers.

Dominic frowned at the scene but remained silent until the lead officer noticed him.

"Mr. Sterling? What are you doing here?" the officer asked, surprised to see the business tycoon in person.

"This is my wife’s bakery," Dominic replied. "What happened here?"

Before the officer could answer, Clara rushed past them.

"Gen, are you alright?" she asked, kneeling in front of the young girl.

Gen didn’t respond. She sat there in complete silence, as though everything happening around her no longer mattered.

All Clara could see was the emptiness in her eyes.

Everyone present shifted their gaze from Clara to Dominic.

There had been countless reports about Dominic Sterling’s marriage, but the identity of his wife had never been revealed. Now, everyone realized that the woman he had married was none other than businessman Vincent Hayes’s illegitimate daughter.

After making sure Gen wasn’t physically hurt, Clara slowly stood and turned to the officer.

"What happened here, Officer?" she asked, meeting his gaze.

When Clara had received the call from the police informing her that the bakery had been robbed, her first thought had been Gen’s safety.

Now, however, as she looked at the silent girl and the cash drawer sitting wide open, something about the whole situation felt... off.

The officer glanced at Dominic before turning back to Clara.

"We received a call from Miss Gen reporting that someone had broken into the bakery," he explained. "However, after reviewing the scene, it doesn’t appear that the person came here to steal anything."

He then pulled out a tablet and played the CCTV footage they had recovered.

The recording showed a man loitering outside the bakery for quite some time. The moment Gen returned from the grocery store carrying shopping bags, he approached her.

Clara and Dominic watched the footage without saying a word.

Nothing about the man’s behavior suggested a robbery. If anything, it looked as though he had been waiting specifically for Gen.

The bakery itself showed no signs of forced entry or vandalism. Apart from the empty cash drawer, everything was exactly where it should have been.

Clara fell silent, carefully piecing together everything the officer had said.

"Maybe she misunderstood his intentions," Clara said after a moment, forcing a faint smile. "She might have thought he was trying to rob the bakery and panicked.Ah and yes about the money. I took it"

Dominic turned to look at his wife and watched her smile weakly as she stratch the back of her neck.

"..."

(But that man wasn’t wandering around by accident. He was clearly waiting for someone.)

Clara caught his gaze, having heard his thoughts, but gave nothing away. She simply maintained her calm expression.

Before anyone else could speak, Gen suddenly broke the silence.

"But... what if he comes back?"

Her quiet voice immediately drew everyone’s attention.

She slowly rose to her feet. Her fists were clenched tightly at her sides, and her eyes remained fixed on the floor.

"You can’t just let someone suspicious walk away... can you?" she asked in a low voice.

The officer nodded sympathetically.

"You’re right to be concerned, Miss Gen. But legally, we can’t detain or charge someone simply for standing outside a shop or approaching another person. Unless he committed an offense or threatened you, there’s very little we can do."

He paused before adding gently,

"If you know the man, perhaps he was just trying to meet you—"

"I don’t know him."

Gen cut him off without hesitation.

"I just want protection."

A heavy silence settled over the bakery.

Clara studied Gen carefully.

Something about her demeanor had changed.

It wasn’t just fear.

It was as though she was expecting something... or someone.

Without another moment’s hesitation, Clara spoke.

"Officer, I’d like to file an official complaint."

Dominic looked at her in surprise.

Gen also lifted her head, her expression changing ever so slightly.

For the first time since they had arrived, Clara noticed a faint flicker in Gen’s eyes. It lasted only a second, but it was enough.

The lead officer nodded.

"Very well, Mrs. Sterling. We’ll register the complaint and circulate the man’s description to nearby patrol units. If he returns or attempts to contact Miss Gen again, we’ll be able to act much more quickly."

"Thank you," Clara replied.

The officer didn’t object further. He instructed one of the constables to prepare the paperwork, and within a few minutes, Clara had formally lodged the complaint.

***

"Thank you for your help, Officer," Dominic said, shaking the officer’s hand.

After exchanging a few final words, the police officers left the bakery.

Dominic then turned to Clara, their eyes meeting in silent understanding.

"I’ll wait for you outside," he said. "In the car."

His gaze briefly lingered on both Clara and Gen before he quietly walked out, giving them the privacy they needed.

Soon, only the two women remained inside the bakery.

The silence felt heavy.

Clara walked over to Gen and spoke gently.

"Are you sure you don’t want me to stay with you?"

Gen kept her head lowered. She hadn’t looked at Clara even once since they arrived.

Hearing the concern in Clara’s voice only made the guilt in her chest grow heavier.

After a long pause, she gave a small nod.

"I’m sure," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Clara studied her for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh.

"Alright," she said softly. "But if you need anything—anything at all—you call me immediately."

Gen nodded again, still unable to meet Clara’s eyes. The weight of her guilt made it impossible to look at the one person who had shown her nothing but kindness.

Clara didn’t question her further and smiled before leaving.

***

Meanwhile, outside, Dominic sat inside the car, speaking on the phone.

"Get me everything you can on her," he said in a calm voice before ending the call.

He slipped his phone back into his pocket just as the passenger door opened.

Clara slid into the seat with an exaggerated sigh.

"Goodness..." she groaned dramatically. "Being the CEO of your own company must be exhausting. Dominic, how do you manage all that work? Meetings, calls, paperwork... I’d resign on the first day."

Dominic didn’t answer.

He simply stared at her.

His expression remained unreadable, but the disbelief in his eyes was unmistakable.

Clara continued rambling as though she hadn’t noticed.

"And those endless business dinners? I could never. I’d probably fall asleep halfway through a presentation. Imagine people asking me about quarterly profits while I’m thinking about what to bake the next morning."

She nodded to herself as if her logic made perfect sense.

"So, I’ve decided. Running a bakery is much better than running a multinational company."

Still, Dominic said nothing.

He just kept staring at her.

Finally, Clara turned to him, only to find him looking at her as though she’d completely lost her mind.

"...What?" she asked innocently, blinking.

Dominic let out a slow breath.

"Are you done talking nonsense?"

Clara placed a hand over her chest in mock offense.

"I was having a perfectly serious conversation."

"You’ve been avoiding the real one since you got into the car."

Her smile faltered for the briefest moment before returning.

"I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about."

Dominic raised an eyebrow, unconvinced.

"Clara."

She looked out the window instead, humming quietly as if the scenery outside had suddenly become the most fascinating thing in the world. Dominic simply watched her, his disbelief only growing.

He let out a quiet, humorless chuckle.

"You know," he said, resting one arm against the steering wheel, "I’ve met people who lie more convincingly than you."

Clara gasped dramatically.

"I don’t lie."

"You do."

"I creatively redirect conversations."

"You were talking about quarterly profits five seconds ago."

"I was appreciating your hard work."

"You were distracting me."

Clara gave him a sheepish smile.

"That too."

Dominic leaned back in his seat, his gaze never leaving her.

"The man wasn’t there to rob the bakery."

It wasn’t a question. It was a statement.

The playful smile on Clara’s face slowly faded.

"You knew that too," he continued. "That’s why you insisted on filing the complaint."

She sighed softly.

"I did."

"And Gen."

He paused.

"She’s terrified of him."

Clara remained silent.

Dominic’s eyes narrowed.

"Who is she?"

"I don’t know."

He held her gaze.

"You expect me to believe that?"

"No," Clara admitted honestly. "I don’t."

A heavy silence settled inside the car.

Dominic drummed his fingers lightly against the steering wheel.

"When you looked at the CCTV footage..." he said slowly, "...it wasn’t surprise I saw on your face."

Clara lowered her eyes.

"It was recognition."

Her fingers tightened around the strap of her handbag.

"I’ve never seen that man before."

"But?"

She closed her eyes for a brief moment.

"But I’ve seen that expression."

Dominic frowned.

"The way he watched her..." Clara murmured. "He wasn’t looking at the bakery. He wasn’t looking at the money."

"He was watching Gen."

Dominic nodded once.

"The same conclusion I reached."

Clara turned toward the windshield.

"I don’t think the robbery was the real reason he came."

"No."

"He wanted to send a message."

Dominic’s expression darkened.

"Or remind her that he’d found her."

Those words hung heavily between them.

Clara slowly turned to look at him.

"You already had someone investigate her, didn’t you?"

Dominic didn’t deny it.

"The moment I saw her reaction."

A faint smile tugged at Clara’s lips.

"I knew that phone call wasn’t about work."

"It wasn’t."

"What did you ask them to find?"

"Everything."

He started the engine.

"Her identity. Her past. Who she’s running from..."

He glanced at Clara.

"...and who might be looking for her."

The engine hummed to life, but neither of them made any move to drive away.

For the first time since meeting Gen, both of them had reached the same conclusion.

The frightened girl wasn’t hiding because she had committed a crime.

She was hiding because someone else was hunting her.