Xia's POV:

"This is really good." I complemented Ric, gesturing to the pancakes as I took a bite. "I didn't expect it to be that good."

"Oh, really?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Yup." I confirmed, not knowing that his next sentence was going to leave me all flustered.

"There are many other things that I can do...they would leave you breathless."

Hold up. Did he mean?

I looked up at him and saw a sinister smirk plastered on his face. Oh. He really meant that. I gulped, very audibly, might I add.

"What are the other things?" Nicolas innocently asked his father.

Ric cleared his throat. "Um...uh...I meant that I can cook other dishes."

"Yeah, he really can do what he said then." Nic said.

I choked on my pancake.

Nicolas really doesn't mean what his father actually meant. Listening to what his son said, Ricardo winked at me.

I narrowed my eyes at him and quickly finished eating breakfast in silence while they did so too.

"Well, we better get going. I have to work and this little man here, has to attend school." Ricardo informed, holding one of Nicolas' hands in his.

"Alright." I smiled. "I have to go to the bakery."

"I don't want to...I want to stay with Xia." Nicolas said, looking up at his father with the most adorable puppy eyes that I had ever seen. "Can I skip school today?"

"I'm sorry, Nico. You can't." Ricardo denied.

Damn, I would never be able to say 'no' to that face. He's too cute.

"Listen," I said, bending down to Nic's level, "if you go to school, willingly, I will spend a whole day with you....without Dadda."

As soon as I added the last two words, his face lit up. He looked up at Ric and stuck his tongue out.

"I'm going to school." The little guy announced. "Bye, Xia!"

I chuckled and bid goodbye to both of them and went into my bedroom to change my clothes because I couldn't go out in these lounge clothes.

Not that I didn't want to, but it's just that I didn't want to be stared at the whole day.

After changing into a beige cropped sweatshirt and black skinny jeans, I tied my hair into a messy bun and put on some clear lip gloss.

Putting on black converse, I picked up my bag, tossing the keys and my phone into it.

Not much later, I was heading towards to the bakery. As I was doing so, I felt someone's stare on me. I wanted to know who it was but I'm not going to lie, I was a little afraid.

I finally gathered all the courage that I had and looked up, trying to find the culprit; from the street in front of me, to the road behind me and finally, to the opposite street.

When my eyes drifted to a man who was on the opposite side of the street, my heart almost stopped beating. I stared at him in disbelief and all he did was mirror my actions.

No...he can't be here. It's not possible. I saw him die in front of me. No...

I squinted my eyes, trying to look at the man clearly, just to make sure that if it was really him. His hair, the way of dressing; it's really him.

That's Devon.

I looked straight into his eyes, the same ones that once held love and affection for me, the same ones that I looked into when I had my first kiss.

My breathing accelerated as I took bigger steps and soon, I strode off from there.

Opening the bakery with the keys, I entered and immediately locked the door behind me, not bothering to turn the signboard that hung on the door from 'Closed' to 'Open'.

I sat behind the counter on the floor with my head rested between my knees. My mind was so clouded with confusion and fear that I couldn't hold it in anymore. Looking at him brought back all those horrible memories.

I felt the tears start to slip down my cheeks but didn't make an attempt to stop them. I couldn't. Not anymore.

I hated crying. I know that hate is a very strong word, but I meant it. I hated to cry because it was a sign of weakness; I hated the fact that I was weak now.

I cried my eyes out until I didn't have tears anymore, I let myself feel emotions....after all these years.

There was only one person who could make me feel better, one person who understood my pain and the one who could make me feel like I wasn't falling apart. Adrian.

Speaking of him, where is he? He should have been here by now. He has the keys to the bakery along with him, why isn't he here yet?

Oh no. What if Devon got to him first? What if he hurt him already or even...

No. I will not think like that, I should have hope and think positively. I pulled out my phone and texted him, asking him where he was and if he was alright.

After a few minutes, when he still hadn't answered, I called him but he didn't answer my call. God, I hope he's okay.

I want to leave from here and go to Adrian but I'm too afraid to. He's out there somewhere....I can't.

Maybe I should occupy myself with something in here. I thought to myself.

Two hours later...

It had been two hours since I have been calling Adrian every fifteen minutes, because he was not answering.

I tried making cupcakes but I just wasn't in the mood so I stopped halfway.

Now, I was sitting at one of the tables in the bakery, still too scared to do anything. The jingling sound of keys caught my attention, making me snap my head towards the direction of the door.

I saw Adrian unlocking the door and soon enough he was in the bakery. What I hadn't expected was for him to look like he had been....crying?

His usually neat hair was messy and disheveled like he had run his fingers through it a million times, his clothes were crumpled and his eyes were red and puffy.

What had happened to him?

I jumped up from my seat and ran towards Adrian, locking the door behind him.

"What's wrong?" I asked him, frantically searching him for any wounds or bruises.

"She's...gone. Just like that. She's gone." Was all that he whispered repeatedly, tears streaming down his face.

Who? Who is he talking about?

"Who?" I asked, holding his face.

"Mom. She's gone." He clarified.

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