Chapter 1662
Tarquin left the hospital, but instead of heading to the office, he drove straight home. He wanted to subtly sound Winona out, through Elysia, about the baby. Did she want to keep it or not? He couldn’t ask directly, so his only option was to go home and talk to his wife.
On the way, he hit a traffic jam caused by an accident, coming to a dead stop right in front of a shop called ‘Limerence.’ Through the car window, Tarquin stared at the sign. Something about it felt familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it.
A police officer informed the drivers that it would be at least an hour before the road was clear. Since this was the only way home, Tarquin simply pulled over and parked in a public spot. He put on a mask, turned off the engine, and walked toward the small shop.
He lingered at the entrance, his gaze fixed on the sign with a curious intensity before finally pushing through the glass door. As soon as he stepped inside, a strange feeling washed over him. His eyes were met with the stylized letter ‘W’ integrated into every corner of the decor. It was plastered on the walls at a glance, it was all he could see. A closer look revealed that the ‘W’ was part of the word ‘Winona’ printed in a subtle, elegant script, but the ‘W’ was so bold and prominent that it dominated the entire design.
A staff member greeted him warmly. “Good afternoon, sir. What can I get for you p>
Tarquin pulled his thoughts together and ordered the shop’s popular love-themed signature cake, along with a selection of other small pastries. After ordering, he found a random seat and picked up a pamphlet about the shop. The owner was a dashing, thirty-year-old man from a prominent family with a long history in Koryon- old money, essentially.
As he was reading, Tarquin suddenly sensed a strange gaze on him. His head snapped up, his senses on high alert. All he saw was a female employee who had been staring at him. Caught in the act, she gave him an awkward smile.
Tarquin rose from his seat and walked over, his expression unreadable. The employee grew flustered. “Can I help you, sir p>
He stopped beside her and glanced around, seeing no one suspicious. “Just checking on my order,” he said flatly.
“Oh, it’s not ready yet,” she said quickly. “Everything in our shop is made to order. It’ll be a little while longer p>
Tarquin didn’t say anything else and returned to his seat. He frowned, his head lowered in thought. That strange stare… it hadn’t come from the employee.
A hidden door to the stockroom opened, and a handsome young man stepped out. He cast another meaningful glance at Tarquin before heading toward the back kitchen. I t make this cake myself, he announced to the staff. “You all can handle the other orders p>
Everyone watched as he rolled up his sleeves, tied on an apron, tucked his hair under a chef’s hat and began crafting the cake with intense focus. The kitchen staff was baffled. Why was the boss suddenly getting hands dirty?
After a while, the cake was finished. The man stared at it for a moment, then took out his phone and
snapped a picture. He personalet
packaged it and gave an instruction to the employee “Tell the customer it’s best enjoyed within two hours. The texture will be affected if he waits too long p>
The employee was confused. This cake was clearly not one of the standard items they sold. It wasn’t even in their system. What was their boss up to? If the customer had been a woman, they’d all suspect he was interested in her.
Not daring to ask questions, the employee took the cake out. “Sir, your order is ready p>
“Thank you,” Tarquin said, putting his phone away and getting up to leave.
On the second floor of the small shop, the man stood by the window, one hand in his pocket, a cigarette between his fingers. He watched with narrowed eyes as Tarquin walked away.
When Tarquin got home, Elysia had just finished preparing the soup for Winona. Seeing him back so unexpectedly, she asked, curious, “What are you doing home at this hour p>