Chapter 12: An Unexpected Escape
1101 Words
The morning sun shone brightly over Todu.
Bill had barely stepped into Thompson Group Headquarters when Richard Hayes approached him with a tablet in hand.
“Good morning, Mr. Thompson.”
“Morning, Richard.”
“Your father is waiting for you in the conference room.”
Bill sighed.
“Already?”
“I’m afraid so.”
Richard offered an apologetic smile before walking away.
Bill loosened his tie.
He had a feeling he already knew what awaited him.
⸻
The conference room was filled with executives.
Gerald Thompson stood at the head of the long table, confidently presenting the company’s latest expansion plans.
The moment Bill entered, every pair of eyes turned toward him.
“You’re late,” Gerald said without looking up from his presentation.
“My apologies.”
Gerald simply nodded.
“Take a seat.”
For the next hour, Bill listened to discussions about profits, investments, and future projects.
Normally, he would have paid attention.
Today…
His thoughts drifted elsewhere.
“You’ll be representing Thompson Group at today’s Community Charity Fair,” Gerald announced.
Bill looked up.
“The fair?”
“Yes.”
“Our company is the principal sponsor.”
Bill frowned slightly.
“I thought Richard was attending.”
“He was.”
Gerald closed the file in front of him.
“I’ve changed my mind.”
Bill understood immediately.
It wasn’t a request.
⸻
By noon, the town square had transformed into a lively celebration.
Colorful tents lined the streets.
Children laughed as they played games.
Local musicians performed cheerful songs while families wandered from stall to stall.
Collins Bakery had a booth near the center of the square.
Mr. Collins smiled proudly as customers lined up for fresh pastries.
Maya handed a bag of cookies to a little girl.
“There you go.”
The child beamed.
“Thank you!”
Dorcas, who had come to help for the afternoon, smiled at her daughter.
“You’ve always had a way with children.”
Maya laughed.
“I think they just like free cookies.”
⸻
A black luxury sedan pulled up beside the square.
Bill stepped out, instantly attracting attention.
People greeted him politely.
Some thanked him for the company’s donations.
Others simply admired the well-dressed young businessman.
Bill smiled courteously, but the formal greetings quickly became exhausting.
As he shook hands with yet another local official, he noticed something across the square.
Maya.
She was laughing with a group of children as she helped them decorate cupcakes.
For the first time that day…
Bill genuinely smiled.
⸻
After another fifteen minutes of speeches and introductions, Bill quietly slipped away from the crowd.
Steve, who had accompanied him, noticed.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Bill smiled.
“I’m taking a break.”
Steve laughed.
“No.”
“You’re escaping.”
“Maybe.”
“I knew it.”
Bill walked through the crowd until he reached the bakery stall.
Maya looked up from arranging cupcakes.
“Mr. Businessman.”
Bill laughed.
“I was hoping you wouldn’t call me that.”
“What should I call you?”
“Bill works just fine.”
She smiled.
“Bill it is.”
He glanced around.
“You seem busy.”
“We’ve barely stopped all afternoon.”
“Need another pair of hands?”
Maya looked at him in surprise.
“You want to help?”
“Why not?”
Mr. Collins overheard the conversation.
“If you’re serious, I won’t say no.”
Five minutes later…
Bill Thompson—the heir to the largest company in Todu—stood behind the bakery stall wearing a white apron.
Gladys walked past and burst into laughter.
“I wish someone had a camera.”
Maya smiled mischievously.
“I actually know someone who always carries one.”
Bill gave her a playful look.
“Very funny.”
Soon, customers began lining up.
Bill carefully packed bread, handed out pastries, and even helped a little boy carry a cake box to his mother.
An elderly woman smiled warmly.
“Young man…”
“You’ve got good manners.”
Bill chuckled.
“My mother would be happy to hear that.”
From across the square, Gerald watched silently.
His expression was unreadable.
Richard stepped beside him.
“Should I call him back?”
Gerald’s eyes remained fixed on Bill and Maya.
“No.”
“Let him enjoy himself.”
Richard nodded.
But he noticed something unusual.
Gerald wasn’t smiling.
He was studying Maya…
As though trying to remember where he had seen her before.
⸻
Late in the afternoon, the crowd began to thin.
Bill removed the apron and handed it back to Mr. Collins.
“I think I survived.”
“Barely,” Gladys teased.
“You packed three loaves upside down.”
Bill laughed.
“I’ll keep practicing.”
Maya handed him a bottle of water.
“You did better than you think.”
He accepted it with a grateful smile.
“Thanks.”
They walked a short distance away from the stall, where the sounds of the fair faded into the background.
“I needed today,” Bill admitted.
“What do you mean?”
He looked around at the families enjoying themselves.
“No one here cared about my last name.”
“They just saw someone helping.”
Maya smiled gently.
“Maybe that’s the person you’ve always wanted to be.”
Bill looked at her for a long moment.
“Maybe.”
A comfortable silence settled between them.
Neither of them noticed Steve watching from a nearby food stand.
He nudged Gladys with his elbow.
“They’re hopeless.”
Gladys grinned.
“They’re adorable.”
Steve laughed.
“Same thing.”
⸻
As the sun began to set, Bill’s phone vibrated.
The screen displayed one name.
Dad.
He answered.
“Hello?”
“Come to the office.”
Gerald’s voice was calm.
“But there was something unsettling about it.”
“Now.”
The call ended.
Bill stared at the phone for a few seconds.
Maya noticed the change in his expression.
“Everything okay?”
He forced a smile.
“I hope so.”
As Bill walked toward his car, he glanced back one last time.
Maya was still standing by the bakery stall, watching him leave.
She raised her hand in a small wave.
Bill smiled and waved back.
Neither of them knew…
That Gerald Thompson had already begun digging into Maya Carter’s past.
And the answers he was about to uncover would threaten everything they were only just beginning to build.
- Writer
