Jerry's POV
Jerry moved as fast as he could up the stairs toward Mr. Kieran's office. He wanted to inform him as soon as possible about the possibility of his cousin being alive.
He knocked on the door. "Master Kieran," he called out, "May I come in?"
Muffled moans were heard inside the office. "What is it, Jerry? Can't I have one minute of privacy?!"
"Sorry, sir, but it's an urgent matter that concerns your cousin," he said, lowering his voice.
Kieran didn't say anything for a while. Then, a woman opened the office door and walked out, buckling her shirt and fixing her skirt.
"Come in," Kieran said angrily. "I hope it's something important and you're not here to just waste my time," he muttered, as if he had been doing something important to begin with.
"Sir," Jerry said, closing the door to avoid eavesdropping, "Gryphon has arrived."
"Is that all you came here to tell me?" Kieran barked.
"No, sir," Jerry apologized.
"Then what is it? Get to the point," Kieran muttered, turning his office chair toward him.
"While he was here, he said something you should know," Jerry continued.
"Well? What did he say? Speak faster—I don't have all day, Jerry."
"He said your cousin Liam is alive," Jerry finally said, facing the ground.
Kieran immediately stopped spinning the office chair, his face now devoid of emotion. "What did you just say?"
"Well, that's not exactly what he said. He mentioned seeing someone resembling your cousin while also bearing his name," Jerry muttered.
Kieran fell into a long silence, swinging a pen around his finger. "And you're sure this information is legit?"
"Not exactly, sir. I just wanted to inform you," Jerry responded.
"Hmm," Kieran sighed. "Since it hasn't been proven, send Carl to confirm it."
"Yes, sir," Jerry bowed, then walked out of the office.
Kieran stayed there, still swinging his pen. "You shouldn't be alive, cousin. I killed you myself," he muttered to himself. "And I'll kill you as many times as necessary for me to keep this wealth."
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Liam's POV
Liam stood outside the bakery, which held up a sign reading: [CLOSED FOR RENOVATIONS].
"This should be good until they're done," he said to Mia.
"Yeah... looks neat," she responded, a smile tugging at her lips.
"Why are you laughing?" He turned toward her, a smile also tugging at his.
"Nothing," she answered, fixing her hair.
He didn't question further, just let it go.
"So, what are you going to do until they finish the renovations?" he asked.
"I'm not sure, but I'll find something," she responded. "What about you?"
"Well, I never really do much, so it won't make a difference," he answered.
The injury on his leg had almost healed, so he practiced walking without the crutches whenever he could. Today, he decided not to bring them.
"You seem better than before," she said, staring at his leg.
"Yeah."
"Well, we can't stand out here until the bakery is done. We should take turns every day, one can rest while the other oversees the renovations."
"Good point," Liam agreed.
"So, who's going first tomorrow?" She smirked, leaning closer to him.
"Well, you," he said, smirking back. "You're the owner, so obviously you'll oversee the first step."
She sighed. "Fine."
He chuckled. "Don't make that cute face, or I might just fall for you."
She stared at him, her face turning bright red. She opened her mouth to reply, but no words came out, she was just too embarrassed.
He kept staring at her, still smirking.
"Dummy!" she shouted, then ran off in the opposite direction.
He watched her run, her hips swaying with every movement.
"Cute," he muttered, hands in his pockets.
He turned and hailed a cab. "Take me to Silverstone Avenue," he said as he entered.
□□□□□□□□□
As he walked into his house, he couldn't help but wonder how it would feel to run his own business.
For now, all he could do was follow the system's instructions until he got what he wanted.
"What a long day. I hope the renovations go smoothly," he said, washing his hands in the sink.
He walked over to the sofa and collapsed onto it. "I'm glad I didn't bring my crutches. That stuff sure takes a lot of energy."
As he lay there, he slowly began drifting off to sleep. "She did look cute, though," he muttered before sleep consumed him.
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
Three Weeks Later
The renovations were finally done, and the bakery was ready to reopen.
The street was crowded with passersby, everyone gathered in front of the bakery, waiting for the grand opening.
"Been a long time since I tasted her baking," one person said in the crowd.
"Actually, I just go there to see her. She's so hot, I wanna ask her out, but I don't know how," a boy whispered to his friend.
A cab pulled over, and Liam stepped out. Everyone turned to see who it was.
"That guy looks like Liam Maddox," someone muttered.
"No way, dude. That guy's dead. Probably just a lookalike," another concluded.
Liam ignored the crowd and walked straight to Mia.
"Took you long enough," Mia said, turning toward him.
"They say the birthday boy can come late because it's his day," he replied, smiling.
She laughed at his comment. "Come on, people are waiting for us," she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him toward the newly designed door.
He looked at her but didn't react, just followed, smiling like he'd won a prize.
"Thank you, everyone, for coming today on the grand reopening of White Bunny's Bakery. It's a pleasure to serve you all," she announced, facing the crowd.
"As you can see, there's a guest with us today, and the renovations wouldn't have been possible without him. Everyone, please give a round of applause for Liam!"
The crowd erupted in cheers and applause.
"Liam?" one person gasped.
"Isn't that the same name as the famous billionaire's son?" another whispered.
But the claps drowned out the questions.
"As we open the doors, I hope we'll all have a great time together," she said, then unlocked the entrance.
The crowd streamed inside as caterers began arranging the food.
"Thanks for hiring these caterers. They'll be a big help," she muttered, smiling.
He smiled back, more than he meant to. "You're welcome."
"What is this feeling?" he asked himself. "Why does my heart feel so warm every time I see her smile?"
She took his hand, and they walked into the bakery together.
The place quickly filled up, with customers buying pastries in bulk.
"This is all because of you. Thanks a lot," she said, clearly impressed as she stood by the counter.
"It's my pleasure working with you," he responded.
She immediately went behind the counter and grabbed an icing bag. "You know, I never actually asked, what's your full name?"
"I'd rather not say," he responded, leaning on the counter.
"Why's that?" she inquired, decorating a cream cake.
"Personal reasons," he said, staring at her intently.
"I see," she said. "Well, tell me about yourself, then. Any family?"
"None," he responded.
"Dead? Or orphan?" she asked carefully.
He laughed. "Neither. I chose not to associate with them."
"Ohh, they must've done something bad, unless you're the bad one," she smirked.
He scoffed. "Well, what if I am a bad boy?"
"Then I'm in big trouble," she teased.
They both laughed.
She slid the cream cake toward him, and he examined it.
"What's this for?" he asked.
"A little something I whipped up to say thanks," she said, smiling.
He stared at the cream cake, she had designed a panda on it. "And you chose a panda?"
"Well, pandas are cute, so..."
He grinned, staring at the system notification.
[System Reward: Charisma Boost]
[Your words subtly influence listeners]
[Limited use per day]
"We sure are."