Page 7

This is good. I feel confident.

"I think maybe you forgot that not every project has to make a killing. Sometimes you have to rely on your kindness, on your generosity, which I also think you forgot you had. I'm here to remind you that you are kind and generous, and you care about the man in the street or the girl in the bakery. You're so rich already. You have everything."

"Not everything. Not yet," Joel says, interrupting me, before all three of their eyes darken as their gazes slide over my body. Yeah, no. My body is still fluttering like it has a million butterflies in my veins.

Focus, Langley. Appeal to their humanity.

"I know you have it in you to stop this. It means nothing in the grand scheme of things. You don't need Darling Rose' land. And oh, look what I made for you," I say excitedly.

I flip open the box I brought with me. The déjà vu from the first time I brought them cupcakes is gone from my mind. I was wholly unprepared then. Today is a different story altogether.

I can't help but bask in my own pride as I glance at my newest one-time-only creations. Although I'm momentarily shocked that without an image, and only from memory alone, I managed to paint each of their faces on the tops of the cupcakes precisely and perfectly. Should I be worried that I remembered them so accurately? Of course not. People's lives depend on me succeeding. I'm not letting Mr. Almaty stand by and watch his beloved building be smashed to dust with a wrecking ball.

"It's you," I say, handing them each their own cupcake.

"If you would please, please, please just look inside your hearts and then just make all the plans you have regarding Darling Rose disappear, you will be doing humanity a kindness like no other.

"And on top of that, if you agree to just let us be, I will be your cupcake baker for life. Any time you need a cupcake, I'm your girl. Parties, dinners, even an ordinary Saturday craving—I will drop everything and bake you cupcakes. Trust me, just taste my cupcakes. You won't taste anything like them at all, I guarantee that."

"That's a very tempting offer, Ms. Langley. Our decision won't be changing," Brandon says.

"What?" I ask, stunned. I poured my heart and soul into making them those cupcakes, and I used all my words to plead to their goodness, and they're not changing their goddamn plans?

"You heard us, Tia. What else have you got?" Joel asks, cocky as ever.

"What else have I got?" I shriek. "I... I... You know what, you three deserve each other, and again, you don't deserve my cupcakes," I say, grabbing the mini cakes out of their hands.

I balance two on my palm as I take a huge bite first into the face of Brandon Wright, then Joel Bates, and then Rex Stevens.

I don't eat the cupcakes demurely at all. I stuff my face with them, being sure to bite down on their faces. My whole mouth is messed with rich frosting, but I don't stop until there's not even a crumb left. Then I lick my lips and use my fingers to help clean my mouth before I suck the cream off them, having eaten every single crumb.

"I came here with a peace offering, and you threw it back in my face. Now I'm going to crush you the same way I crushed your faces," I rasp. God, they make me so angry, I want to explode. Why can't they just do as I say? Why does my body have to be so damn hot and wet around them?

I absolutely hate them.

"That was your last chance to do the right thing," I shout, grabbing my box and heading back out the door. But then I turn around, and dipping my fingers into my cleavage, I pull out the contract and slam it on the desk.

"In case the heat gets too much for you, you can sign that contract and have it delivered back to me." With that, I march straight out of their boardroom and only realize when I get home that I still have frosting on my face and in my hair.

Crap.

Chapter Six

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Tia

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Right.

I'm so intent on revenge, I haven't slept properly in three days. Three days since I walked into their skyscraper office, for the second time, and begged them not to demolish Darling Rose.

Obviously, both times flopped spectacularly.

But now all gloves are off. By the end of today, they'll know I mean business. In fact, they'll be so frustrated and enraged they'll happily sign my contract with their tears and leave me, my bakery, and the whole of Darling Rose alone.

All the residents of Darling Rose said they would only give in and sell up to the big, ugly company if Mr. Almaty sold up. And since he's already on the verge of doing so, the rest of the residents will follow suit, and that would be the end of Darling Rose forever.