Chapter 3 - The Confrontation at the Bakery
Before Chloe could formulate a reply, the front door of the bakery chimed again with a cheerful, grating ring that shattered the heavy tension in the room.
“Babe, I’m telling you, their gluten-free scones taste like cardboard, but we needed to get out of the apartment—”
The voice stopped dead.
Derek Mitchell stood in the doorway, his arm still linked with Britney Hayes. Derek had apparently decided to drop by to gloat further, or perhaps simply to grab an overpriced coffee, but the sight that greeted him froze the smug expression right off his face.
Standing inside Chloe’s bakery was a man who looked like he had stepped out of a mob documentary—flanked by armed guards, wearing a charcoal overcoat, and pressing his hand intimately against Chloe’s stomach.
Derek blinked, his brain clearly struggling to process the scene.
“Chloe?” Derek sneered, stepping further into the shop, puffing out his chest to look important in front of Britney. “What is going on here? Who is this guy? Is this why you’ve been acting so defensive lately? Found yourself a sugar daddy to pay your rent?”
Britney giggled, covering her mouth with a manicured hand. “I guess when you let yourself go, you have to lower your standards, right Derek?”
The air in the bakery didn't just grow cold; it froze solid.
Noah, standing near the door, slowly placed his hand inside his coat, resting it on the grip of his firearm. Two other guards stepped forward, blocking the exit.
Dominic didn't even turn around to look at Derek. He kept his dark, unwavering gaze locked on Chloe’s face, as if the pathetic little man barking insults behind him wasn't even worth the oxygen required to acknowledge him.
“Chloe,” Dominic said quietly. “Who is this insect?”
“Nobody,” Chloe whispered, her hands shaking slightly. “Just an ex-fiancé who doesn't know when to shut his mouth.”
Derek’s face flushed red with indignation. He took another step forward, entirely misreading the danger he was standing in.
“Hey! Watch your mouth, pal!” Derek barked, pointing a finger at Dominic’s back. “I don’t know what kind of low-rent gangster you think you are, but you need to know that this woman is a total trainwreck. She’s broke, she’s lazy, and clearly she’s desperate if she’s letting a guy like you—!”
Dominic turned around.
The movement was slow, fluid, and terrifyingly calm.
When Dominic’s gray eyes fixed on Derek, the younger man stuttered to a halt. The sheer, crushing weight of Dominic’s aura—the aura of a man who controlled life and death in the city of Chicago—washed over Derek like a tidal wave.
Derek swallowed hard, taking an involuntary step back. “Look, man, I didn't mean—”
“You spoke out of turn in the presence of my wife,” Dominic said. His voice was smooth as silk and cold as winter ice.
“Wife?!” Derek choked out, his eyes bulging. “She’s not your wife! She’s just a—a broke pastry chef!”
“She is carrying my child,” Dominic corrected softly, taking a step toward Derek.
The color drained entirely from Derek’s face. He looked from Dominic to Chloe’s rounded stomach, the horrible realization dawning on him like a physical blow. “Wait... no. That’s impossible. You were with me! We were engaged!”
“And you left her with a sticky note on the kitchen counter,” Dominic said, his voice dropping an octave as he closed the distance between them.
Noah stepped forward, grabbing Derek by the lapel of his designer polo and lifting him an inch off the ground with effortless strength. Derek let out a squeak of absolute terror, his legs kicking uselessly in the air.
“Please!” Derek whimpered, panic setting in as he realized the nightmare he had stepped into. “I didn't know! I swear I didn't know!”
“Take him outside,” Dominic commanded without breaking eye contact with Chloe. “Teach him some manners about how to address the future mother of my children. And make sure he never sets foot within ten blocks of this bakery again.”
“No, wait! Please!” Derek screamed as Noah dragged him backward toward the door, kicking and thrashing while Britney stood paralyzed in horror, her mouth hanging open in sheer disbelief.
The door swung shut, cutting off Derek’s pathetic cries.
Inside the bakery, silence returned. The few remaining customers had scrambled out the side exit minutes ago, leaving only Chloe, Dominic, and the silent, towering guards.
Chloe let out a long, shaky breath. She looked at Dominic, a mixture of exasperation and awe washing over her.
May you like
“You didn't have to throw him out like trash,” she murmured, though she couldn't entirely hide the small, satisfied smile tugging at the corner of her lips.
“Trash belongs in the dumpster,” Dominic replied smoothly, stepping back to her side. He reached out, gently cupping her cheek with his warm hand, his thumb brushing away a stray lock of hair. “Now. Let’s talk about your new address.”
