The bakery buzzed with chatter, clinking cups, and the hum of the new espresso machine. The smell of cinnamon rolls mixed with fresh coffee made the air feel warm and safe.
Liam leaned against the counter, watching Mia giggle with an older couple as they tried her blueberry tarts.
"You look really happy doing this job," he muttered.
"Really?" she questioned, briefly turning towards him.
"Yeah, and it makes me smile," he said, glancing around the bakery.
"Everyone seems happy as well," he added. "You've brought a lot of smiles on their faces just from baking," he muttered, smiling more than he intended.
"Well, I do love to see people smile," she said, cleaning her hands on a rag as she brought out new trays of pastries for the showcase.
"Help me put it inside the showcase," she asked, sliding the tray towards him.
"Sure," he took it and walked up to the showcase.
He noticed a woman in an odd dress staring at him, but he shook it off as nothing. "Probably an admirer," he muttered, inserting the pastries inside the show glass.
He walked back, still noticing the staring eyes fixed on him.
"Hope your coffee is good, sir," he said to a customer.
"Yes, it's really good. Say thank you to Mia for me," the customer responded with a smile.
"I will," he said, walking up to another customer.
"Looks like you're done. Need more, or do you want someone to take out the dishes for you?" he asked, standing beside them.
They glanced at him. The booth had four kids and a parent (female). She looked really tired, with the kids constantly playing around.
"Must be hard training them, huh," he muttered, patting the last-born on the head.
"Sorry about them, they're really stressful," she said, tiredness evident in her voice. "Always disturbing me."
The kids ran toward him. "Sir, sir! Give us a piggyback ride!!" one shouted.
He smiled, "How about I give you something else instead?"
"What's that?" they asked in unison, their faces filled with happiness.
"Close your eyes," he asked. "Then open your hands."
"We've done that! Now what is it?" they said, jumping up and down with so much energy.
He inserted 50 bucks each into their hands. "Now open them," he requested.
They all opened their eyes, and their expressions were that of shock. "50 bucks?!" the eldest screamed, making their mother turn toward them.
"You really didn't have to do that, sir," she pleaded.
"Now, if you don't disturb mommy, you can each get one cupcake," he muttered, smiling at them.
They all ran towards their seats and sat down with their hands resting on their laps.
"It's alright, ma'am, they can keep the money. Just don't fall sick from so much stress. You can take a moment of rest," he said, noticing her fatigue.
"Thank you," she said, smiling.
He walked back toward the counter and brought back a couple of cupcakes for them. "Here, it's on the house," he muttered before walking back.
"What was that for?" Mia asked, noticing he took away a dozen cupcakes.
"Just helping out a family," he muttered, smiling back.
"That's coming out of your bill," she teased, and they both laughed.
Their laughter was soon silenced when a man strode into the bakery.
At the door stood a man wearing a black trench coat, with gloves on his hands. He was slim, not very bulky like those who went to the gym. He held a clipboard in one hand, and his ID tag read:
[City Health & Safety–Carl Reins]
Liam sat up as he watched the man walk up to him.
"Good day, sir," the man began.
"Good day, uh..." Liam said, staring closer at his tag, "Carl Reins."
"Good day, ma'am," he said, turning toward Mia.
Mia simply nodded, gazing at him.
"I'm here for a health inspection," he muttered, pulling out a pen.
"Sir, I received no information, so I don't believe you can perform the inspection," Mia said, cleaning her hands and walking closer to the counter.
"I'm not asking," he said, pulling out a card that showed he had the right to conduct regular inspections without permission.
"It's alright, Mia, he's just here for an inspection and nothing more, so don't panic," Liam said, gripping her hand to calm her down.
"Alright, but please be fast. You're scaring the customers," she responded, moving back to her station.
The chef asked the caterers to leave the kitchen for the procedure. Only Liam and Mia were permitted entry.
He walked around the bakery, taking notes on his clipboard. "Lastly, is your kitchen," he muttered.
Liam stared at him for a while, then agreed to follow him. "Alright, then, let's go."
They walked into the kitchen. He walked around a couple of times, which was unusual, then, he walked out of the kitchen.
"Alright, you guys are clear," he said, walking out the door.
Liam didn't see any of this making sense, so he called the man back.
"What about a receipt, sir? To prove that we're clear?" he asked.
The man looked like he was in a hurry. "I'll send the receipt over to you by next week," the man said hurriedly.
Just as he was about to walk out of the bakery, an explosion occurred.
○Boom!○
Everyone fled from the shockwave. Liam grabbed Mia by the hand and thrust her to the side, making her land on him.
"Are you alright?" he asked, pulling her up, then running toward the man.
The man pulled out a remote and pressed it as he threw the clipboard toward Liam.
Immediately, a woman pounced on him, blocking him from the explosion.
"Stay down, pretty boy," the woman said, staring down at him as he lay between her thighs.
He noticed it was the same woman as before. "Who are you?!" he asked.
"No time," she said, rolling off him and quickly standing up.
She ran toward the man, pulling out a dagger from her back. "Don't move!" she screamed at him.
The man opened the door immediately, but a customer blocked him from passing because of the stampede.
The woman caught up to him, and they exchanged blows. She parried his strikes like someone who had been on a battlefield before.
She landed powerful blows on him, making him stagger back. He took the chance and kicked her in the gut, causing her to stagger backward, nearly falling and in that moment, he vanished with the crowd.
Meanwhile, Liam ran toward Mia. "How are you?" he asked urgently.
Mia raised her head, her expression darkening. "It's your fault, Liam."
He stared at her in confusion. "What?"
"You said everything will be fine. You allowed him into the bakery even when I didn't want him to," she continued ranting. "It's all your fault! If you had just listened to me and told him to go—!"
Immediately, the system responded to the situation, and a notification popped up:
[System Activated: Charisma Boost—1 Use Remaining Today]
The charisma boost was active.
"Calm down, Mia. Everything will be alright. I'll protect you. Nothing will happen to you," he said, tapping her shoulder lightly.
She reacted to his touch and immediately calmed down, tears streaming down her cheeks.
He hugged her, and her expression softened. "I'm sorry." She said.
"It's alright," he said, hugging her tightly.
The woman from before strode toward them and crouched close. "Are you both alright?"
"Yes, we are," Liam responded on behalf of both of them. "You didn't answer my question from before," he recalled.
"Well, I didn't want him to get away, that's why. But I'm Sera, a retired mercenary," she responded, fixing her clothes.
"You've got enemies, lover boy—ones that don't mind turning a bakery into a war zone," she said, fixing a glove.
"He was probably after me," Liam said, glancing over the bakery.
"I figured. That was an amateur job, though or probably just a warning—whoever sent him? They wanted you shook, not dead," she said, now standing up.
Mia, who was still crying by the side, finally spoke. "I shouldn't have reopened the bakery."
"You definitely should have," Liam said. "This bakery gives people joy. That bastard won't take that from you or from me."
Mia looked up at him, and something soft was in her eyes. It looked like trust.
Sera then broke the silence. "I'll stick around so I can catch him and put him behind bars."