Forever in the making

Chapter 5: Sweet Salvation

Piper's mind was racing as she tried to come up with a solution to the wedding cake disaster. She knew that the bride, Emma, had her heart set on a traditional wedding cake, and Piper was determined to make it happen.

"I've got it!" Piper exclaimed, snapping her fingers. "I know a local baker who makes amazing wedding cakes. I can call her and see if she can deliver a cake on short notice."

Max's face lit up with hope. "That would be amazing, Piper," he said. "Thank you so much for saving the day."

Piper smiled and pulled out her phone. "Don't thank me yet," she said. "I still have to convince the baker to take on the job."

As Piper dialed the baker's number, Sophia looked on anxiously. "Do you think she'll be able to do it?" Sophia asked.

Piper nodded confidently. "I'm sure she will," she said. "She's the best baker in town."

After a few minutes of negotiation, Piper hung up the phone and turned to Max and Sophia with a triumphant smile. "It's all set," she said. "The baker will deliver a beautiful wedding cake to the hotel by 2 pm tomorrow."

Max and Sophia cheered, and Piper felt a sense of pride and accomplishment. She had saved the day, and the wedding was back on track.

But as they were celebrating, Piper's phone buzzed with an incoming text message. She glanced down and saw that it was from an unknown number.

"Meet me in the hotel lobby at midnight," the message read. "Come alone."

Piper's heart skipped a beat as she wondered who could be sending her such a mysterious message.

Piper decides to confide in Max about the mysterious text message. She finds him in his office, pouring over some papers.

"Max, I need to show you something," Piper says, holding out her phone.

Max looks up, concerned. "What is it?"

Piper shows him the text message. Max's expression darkens.

"Where did this come from?" Max asks.

"I don't know," Piper replies. "But I'm getting a little spooked."

Max's face softens, and he takes Piper's hand.

"Don't worry, Piper," Max says. "I'll take care of this. We'll figure out who sent this and put a stop to it."

Piper feels a surge of gratitude and trust toward Max.

As they continue to discuss the mysterious message, Piper realizes that she's developing strong feelings for Max.

As Piper and Max continue to discuss the mysterious text message, Sophia bursts into the room, looking frantic.

"Piper, I need your help!" Sophia exclaims. "The wedding flowers have arrived, but they're all wrong! Emma is going to freak out!"

Piper's mind snaps back to the wedding preparations. She quickly assesses the situation and comes up with a plan.

"Don't worry, Sophia," Piper says. "We can fix this. Let's get the florist on the phone and see what happened."

As Piper works to resolve the flower crisis, Max offers to help, and together they manage to track down the florist and get the correct flowers delivered to the hotel.

The crisis is averted, but Piper can't shake off the feeling that something is off.

Suddenly, Emma appears, looking worried.

"Piper, I need to talk to you about something," Emma says. "I've been getting these strange feelings that something is going to go wrong on the wedding day."

Piper's instincts kick in, and she wonders if Emma's feelings are connected to the mysterious text message.

Piper decides to take a different approach. She asks Emma to join her on a walk around the hotel's gardens, hoping the fresh air and peaceful surroundings will help calm Emma's nerves.

As they stroll through the gardens, Piper points out the beautiful flowers and landscaping, trying to distract Emma from her worries. Emma begins to open up about her concerns, and Piper listens attentively, offering words of reassurance.

Just as it seems like Emma is starting to feel better, they hear a faint noise coming from a nearby gazebo. It sounds like someone is whispering.

Piper's curiosity is piqued, and she excuses herself to investigate. She approaches the gazebo cautiously, wondering who or what could be making the noise.

As she peers inside, she's shocked to see a figure hiding in the shadows

Piper carefully positions herself to listen in on the mysterious figure's whispers. She's trying not to make any noise, but her heart is racing with anticipation.

As she listens, she realizes that the figure is talking on the phone. Piper can't quite make out the conversation, but it sounds like the person is discussing something secretive and urgent.

Suddenly, the figure mentions Max's name, and Piper's ears perk up. She leans in closer, trying to hear more.

"...Max will never know what hit him," the figure says, their voice dripping with malice.

Piper's eyes widen in alarm. What are they planning, and how is Max involved?

Just as she's about to sneak away and warn Max, the figure turns around, and Piper sees their face.

It's someone she knows, but she never expected to see them involved in something shady.

Piper decides to try to gather more information before confronting the person or warning Max. She carefully observes the person's behavior, trying to learn more about their intentions.

As she watches, the person finishes their phone call and starts to sneak away. Piper follows them at a distance, trying not to be seen.

The person leads her to a secluded area of the hotel, where they meet up with someone else. Piper recognizes the second person as a rival businessman who has been trying to acquire the Grand Hotel.

Piper's instincts tell her that something shady is going on. She listens in on their conversation, trying to learn more.

"...the wedding is the perfect distraction," the rival businessman says. "While everyone is busy with the ceremony, we can sneak in and sabotage the hotel's finances."

Piper's eyes widen in alarm. She knows she has to act fast to stop them.

Piper quickly and quietly makes her way back to Max's office, her mind racing with the sabotage plan she just overheard. She bursts into the office, out of breath.

"Max, I need to tell you something," Piper says, urgency in her voice.

Max looks up from his work, concerned. "What is it, Piper?"

Piper explains what she overheard, and Max's expression darkens. "We can't let them sabotage the hotel," Max says. "We have to act fast."

Max quickly comes up with a plan to increase security and protect the hotel's finances. Piper offers to help him implement the plan.

As they work together, Piper can't help but notice the way Max's eyes crinkle at the corners when he smiles, or the way his hair curls slightly at the nape of his neck. She feels a flutter in her chest, and realizes that her feelings for Max go beyond mere friendship.