She swore she would never return.
And she swore she would never let love make her weak again.
Eight years later, both promises would be broken.
Chapter 1- Present Day
I never planned on coming back.
Yet there I was, driving straight toward the town that had taught me how quickly love could turn into a weapon.
Ever since the lawyer called the week before, Marie’s will had been lodged in my head like a ticking bomb. At first, I was certain he had made a mistake. People did not leave bakeries to girls who vanished without a word.
When I told him that over the phone, he had paused.
“Ms. Carter,” he said calmly, “I don’t make assumptions. I follow instructions.”
That should have been the end of it.
But then he showed up at my workplace three days later, suit pressed, briefcase in hand, patience wearing thin. The moment he laid the documents on my desk, every lingering doubt disappeared.
“The conditions are very clear,” he said, tapping the papers as though they irritated him. “Marie left the bulk of her assets to her children. The bakery, however, is to be named after you. That was her final request.”
I stared at the documents, my name printed neatly where it did not belong.
“Why?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “I haven’t seen her in eight years.”
He shrugged, already gathering his things. “I’m just the lawyer.”
“I think you should give it to her children,” I said quickly. “It makes more sense. It’s their family business.”
“She anticipated that response,” he replied. “Which is why she made it non-negotiable.”
Of course she did.
Nothing about Marie had ever been simple.
What were you thinking?
The question followed me long after he left. But the answer did not matter. I was not staying. I had built a new life, one that did not include this town, its whispers, or the boy who chose lies over love.
I only needed to sell the bakery, close the chapter properly, and return to the people who mattered now.
The road stretched endlessly ahead of me until a faded sign appeared through the windshield.
WELCOME TO BROOKVALE
My heart betrayed me, beating faster, tighter.
“Be strong,” I whispered to myself, fingers gripping the steering wheel. “It wasn’t your fault.”
The town looked different. Bigger. Louder. New buildings squeezed between old ones, yet the memories rushed back anyway, sharp and unwelcome. Every street corner felt like a trap, every stoplight a reminder.
I needed coffee. Something grounding. Somewhere anonymous.
The coffeehouse was warm and bright, the scent of roasted beans wrapping around me like a lie of comfort.
“Hi there! What can I get you?”
