Chapter - 9 > The Kiss That Never Happened
1105 Words
The next morning...
New York woke up to only one piece of news.
Every television channel.
Every gossip website.
Every social media platform.
The same headline.
WHO IS MAYA BENNETT? THE MYSTERY WOMAN WHO STOLE ADRIAN KNIGHT'S HEART
Maya groaned the moment Lily placed a newspaper on the bakery counter.
"I don't want to see it."
"You should."
"No."
"It gets worse."
Maya slowly peeked over the edge of the newspaper.
There, printed across the front page, was a photograph of her laughing while Adrian looked at her.
Beneath it was the caption:
Sources claim the billionaire has been secretly visiting the bakery every day. Wedding rumors are already circulating.
Maya dropped the paper as though it had caught fire.
"I've known him for barely two weeks!"
Lily tried—and failed—not to laugh.
"The media thinks you've been in love for months."
Mrs. Henderson walked in carrying three shopping bags.
She smiled brightly.
"Good morning, future Mrs. Knight!"
Maya nearly dropped a tray of croissants.
"I'm not marrying him!"
Mr. Wilson entered right behind her.
"So... should we start planning the wedding?"
"No!"
"Chocolate cake?"
"No!"
"Open bar?"
"Mr. Wilson!"
The entire bakery burst into laughter.
Even Maya couldn't help smiling.
Across town...
Knight Holdings was far less cheerful.
Adrian walked into the boardroom to find twelve directors waiting.
No one looked happy.
Chairman Douglas Hayes folded his hands.
"Mr. Knight."
"Good morning."
"I wish it were."
The chairman slid a newspaper across the table.
"You've become the company instead of representing it."
Adrian glanced at the headline.
"I can't control rumors."
"No."
"But you can control your actions."
Another director spoke up.
"Leaving a board meeting because of a woman has damaged investor confidence."
"It wasn't because of a woman."
"It was because of an unnecessary confrontation."
The room fell silent.
Chairman Hayes adjusted his glasses.
"We expect this distraction to end."
Adrian's expression remained unreadable.
"It will not affect the company."
"We hope you're right."
Meanwhile...
At Bennett's Bakery...
The lunch rush had just begun.
Customers filled every table.
Maya was balancing three plates of pastries when the bakery door opened.
Adrian stepped inside.
Every conversation stopped.
Someone whispered,
"He's here!"
Another customer quickly pretended to read the menu while secretly watching.
Maya sighed.
"You really have terrible timing."
"I noticed."
He approached the counter.
"I came to apologize."
She looked surprised.
"For what?"
"For yesterday."
"You didn't do anything."
"I should've stopped Isabella before she came here."
Maya smiled faintly.
"You can't control other people's choices."
"No."
"But I can take responsibility for mine."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Maya handed him a cup of coffee.
"On the house."
Adrian reached for his wallet.
She pushed his hand away.
"Today..."
"It's free."
He looked at her.
"You've forgiven me?"
"There wasn't anything to forgive."
A small smile appeared on his face.
"Thank you."
Lily watched from the kitchen doorway.
She quietly whispered to herself,
"They're doomed."
Just then...
A little girl wandered over to Adrian.
She couldn't have been older than six.
She tugged gently on his sleeve.
"Mister?"
Adrian crouched down.
"Yes?"
"My mommy says you're Maya's boyfriend."
The bakery exploded with laughter.
Maya covered her face with both hands.
"Oh, no..."
Adrian looked completely caught off guard.
The little girl continued innocently,
"If you're her boyfriend..."
"You should kiss her."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Every customer froze.
Mrs. Henderson's teacup stopped halfway to her lips.
Mr. Wilson whispered,
"This just got interesting."
Maya's cheeks turned bright red.
"Sweetheart..."
she began awkwardly.
"He's not my—"
Before she could finish...
A loud chorus erupted.
"Kiss!"
One customer started clapping.
Another joined.
Within seconds, nearly the entire bakery was chanting.
"Kiss!"
"Kiss!"
"Kiss!"
Maya stared at her regular customers in disbelief.
"You people are unbelievable!"
Mrs. Henderson smiled shamelessly.
"We're invested now."
Even Ethan had the audacity to join in.
"Kiss!"
Adrian shot him a deadly glare.
Ethan immediately coughed.
"I meant... coffee."
Maya looked everywhere except at Adrian.
"This is so embarrassing."
He nodded once.
"I agree."
"So..."
she whispered.
"What do we do?"
Adrian looked around the bakery.
Everyone was watching.
Phones were already recording.
If they argued, it would become another headline.
If they walked away...
The rumors would only grow.
He leaned slightly closer.
"I have an idea."
"What?"
"Trust me."
"That sentence usually ends badly."
Despite herself, Maya smiled.
Adrian gently reached toward her.
The bakery collectively held its breath.
He lifted his hand...
And brushed a small streak of flour from her cheek.
"There."
He smiled softly.
"You missed a spot."
For a second...
Time seemed to stop.
Maya forgot how to breathe.
The customers stared in stunned silence.
Then—
"Awww!"
Mrs. Henderson wiped away an imaginary tear.
"That was even better than a kiss!"
The bakery erupted into applause.
Maya covered her burning face.
"I need a vacation."
Outside...
Across the street...
A photographer lowered his camera.
Perfect.
From the angle he'd captured, it looked as though Adrian was lovingly caressing Maya's face.
Exactly what Victor had paid him for.
The photographer immediately sent the image.
Within minutes...
Another article was published.
ADRIAN KNIGHT TENDERLY TOUCHES MYSTERY WOMAN DURING SECRET BAKERY DATE
That evening...
Knight Manor.
Adrian's grandmother sat comfortably in the living room with a tablet in her hands.
She smiled as she looked at the latest headline.
When Adrian entered, she held up the screen.
"So..."
He sighed.
"It's not what it looks like."
"It never is."
She patted the sofa beside her.
"Sit."
Reluctantly, he obeyed.
She studied him for a long moment.
"Tell me honestly."
He remained silent.
"When you walked into that bakery for the first time..."
"Did you expect your life to change?"
Adrian thought about Maya.
Her laughter.
Her stubbornness.
The way she refused his money.
The way she defended her bakery.
The way she smiled at everyone.
A smile slowly appeared on his face without him realizing it.
His grandmother noticed immediately.
She laughed softly.
"You didn't answer."
"I know."
"You smiled instead."
For the first time...
Adrian couldn't deny it.
At the same time...
Maya was locking up the bakery when she noticed an envelope slipped beneath the front door.
There was no name.
No address.
Only one sentence typed neatly across the front.
If you want to know why Adrian really chose you... come alone tomorrow night.
Maya frowned.
Inside the envelope was a photograph.
It showed Adrian leaving a lawyer's office.
On the back, someone had written three chilling words.
You're just convenient.
Maya's smile slowly disappeared.
Who had sent it?
And more importantly...
Was it true?
- Writer
