Undercover billionaire and the bakery bandit.

Undercover billionaire and the bakery bandit.

Nova7

5.0
Comment(s)
49
View
15
Chapters

Addie, a fiery baker, struggles to keep her family bakery afloat. Alex Thorne (disguised as Alex Rivers), a reclusive billionaire disguised as a struggling artist, determined to save the bakery for his own reasons. As they work together, a sizzling romance ignites. However, a series of robberies targeting prized recipes and a manipulative stepmother threaten their newfound love and the bakery's future. Can Addie learn to trust Alex, uncover the truth behind the robberies, and safeguard her family legacy?

Undercover billionaire and the bakery bandit. Chapter 1 1 A day in my life

The yeasty smell of fresh-baked bread wafted through the small bakery, comforting and warm, promising fairer days ahead. Addie Parker was behind the counter, hands dusted with flour as her eyes hastily scanned tables sprinkled throughout the small shop. The morning rush was over, but it hadn't been much of a rush in a very long time-just the same few loyal customers who trickled in, keeping the lights on but not much more.

She wiped the back of her hand across her brow, an ache in her arms from having kneaded dough since morning. Months of slow business had taken a heavy lead weight to her chest every day with the weight of the financial troubles the bakery had fallen upon. Bills piled up, overdue rent, the threat of closure looming above her head like a dark cloud.

The bell above the door jingled, and Addie set the tray of cinnamon rolls fresh out of the oven on the counter. She looked up with a hopeful smile, and let it falter at the sight of Mrs. Jenkins from down the street.

Morning, dear," Mrs. Jenkins said in a near-soft, full-of-pity voice. She sashayed on toward the counter, saying in nearinaudible tones, as if perhaps for a secret, "You're still holding on, I see."

Addie forced a smile, wrestling it onto her face, while inside her stomach was performing its usual acrobatics. "Just doing what I can," she said, light and detached from the truth.

Mrs. Jenkins nodded slowly, her crinkled hands clutching at her purse. "You know, there's no shame in letting go. Sometimes, it's just too much. This place has been in your family for generations, sure, but you don't want it to be your burden, does it?

Addie swallowed hard, her eyes afire with the sudden sting of imminent tears. She knew Mrs. Jenkins was just being nice, but it sounded like another push toward the inevitable-selling the bakery.

"Thanks, Mrs. Jenkins," Addie said softly, "but I'm not giving up just yet."

The older woman blew a heavy sigh before giving her a pity smile. "Well, I'll take two loaves of sourdough and them cinnamon rolls. Best in town, after all."

Addie nodded quickly as she wrapped the order. As she was handing her the bag, Mrs. Jenkins turned with a soft "Take care, dear," and disappeared out the door.

She was barely out the door when the smile fell from her face. She let her gaze stray to the framed photograph on the wall-the matriarch of her family, the woman who had started this bakery almost forty years ago.

Nonna," Addie said aloud to herself, running her finger along the edge of the counter. "What would you do?

It was the memory of her grandmother, alive today just as she had been every day when breathing. Nonna bustled around this bakery, hands moving swiftly through dough, her voice a song mixed with laughter. She loved this place, heart and soul in every loaf and pastry. It wasn't just a business; it was part of her. Now it was Addie's.

She went to the window and stared out at the street beyond now, lined with hip cafés and gaudy new restaurants siphoning off her customers. Little longer very competitive against this glitter was the little bakery that long had been pride of the neighborhood.

Addie exhaled on the glass so that it fogged up. How ever was it to come to this?

"Maybe Mrs. Jenkins does have a point," she stuttered, "Maybe I am stubborn.

Part of her once or twice had actually considered selling the bakery-the offers were there-mostly nothing to brag about but enough to pay off her debts and place her in a good position for a new beginning. Yet every time that would come to her head, and she could easily walk away, it was her grandmother who kept her from doing such. It was still ringing in her head when Nonna said, "*This bakery is our legacy, Addie. It's more than a business. It's our heart, our family.*"

Addie fisted her hands. Whose would let go of something that meant so much to the family? She did not want some random stranger just waltzing in, making her grandmother's bakery into some dead-inside café.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, pulling her from her reverie. A glance at the screen showed it was a text from Emma, her best friend.

**Emma:*How's morning? Don't forget, you promised dinner tonight!***

Addie blew a sigh, her fingers poised over the screen as she jabbed out a quick reply.

**Addie:*It's quiet. Might close up early. I'll be there.*

She jammed the phone back into her apron pocket, turning her attention back inside the bakery. The empty chairs, the silent ovens-it was just so. empty.

It was then that the bell above the door jingled once more. Addie straightened hopefully this time, to see it was her landlord, Mr. Larkin.

"Afternoon, Miss Parker," he grated without any preliminary courtesy. Hard eyes glanced about the empty shop. "We need to talk about the rent.

Addie's heart sank. "I know," she replied, hastily wiping her hands on her apron. "I've been working on it. I just need a little more time."

Mr. Larkin crossed his arms over his chest. "Time's run out. I've given you two extensions already. If I don't see something soon, I'm going to have to find a new tenant. I can't keep giving you breaks."

Addie's tummy did somersaults. "I-I am trying. Business has been slow, but I have a plan. Please, just give me one more month."

He blew out a sigh, his face softening a fraction. "One more month, Addie. Beyond that, I'm sorry, but I have bills to pay too."

Addie nodded, her throat tight. "Thank you," she whispered.

He slams his hat onto his head, turns, and disappears into the chill of the morning, silent again, leaving the weight of his warning to lie heavy in the air.

Addie slumps against the counter, her chest heavy. Just one more month, all she has left.

She looks again in the picture of her grandmother. She says in a voice little more than a whisper, "I don't know that I can do this, Nonna. I don't know that I am strong enough."

But it was more than that-the bakery was all that remained of her grandmother. And this, too, was slowly escaping her grasp, slipping away into the ether as had the rest of the members in her family. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand, refusing to let the tears fall.

It sounded again, this time more insistently, and the man entered, carrying a huge art portfolio. His dark hair had that bedhead thing, plus scruff along his jawline, an aura about him that screamed quiet confidence. Addie felt her pause.

"Hey," he said, his voice like silk. "You open?"

Addie hastily wiped her hands on her apron. "Yeah, we're open."

He smiled at her-eyes warm-as he made his way toward the counter. "Great. I'll take whatever you recommend.

Addie's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Anything?"

"Surprise me," he said, leaning casually on the counter, his eyes never leaving hers.

She faltered a moment before turning into the case for a newly baked almond croissant. "Here. These just came out of the oven."

He did, his fingers grazing hers light enough. He smiled. "Thanks. I'm Alex, by the way."

"Addie," she returned, feeling an odd flutter in her chest as he took a bite of the croissant.

His eyes widened and he nodded in approval. "This is great. You do all this yourself?"

Addie nodded. "Yeah, it's my grandmother's bakery. I've been running it since she passed."

Alex hunched over a little more, keeping his gaze on her a second longer. "A family legacy, huh? That isn't exactly something you run across every day."

"Nope, it isn't," Addie replied softly, finding herself drawn to this man in some kind of way she just didn't know. There was just something about him-something at which she just couldn't put her finger.

"Well, Addie," he said beaming, "I think from now on I shall have to come back more often."

And just like that, a wee fire was lit within her tummy.

Continue Reading

You'll also like

The Ghost Wife's Billion Dollar Tech Comeback

The Ghost Wife's Billion Dollar Tech Comeback

Huo Wuer
4.5

Today is October 14th, my birthday. I returned to New York after months away, dragging my suitcase through the biting wind, but the VIP pickup zone where my husband's Maybach usually idled was empty. When I finally let myself into our Upper East Side penthouse, I didn't find a cake or a "welcome home" banner. Instead, I found my husband, Caden, kneeling on the floor, helping our five-year-old daughter wrap a massive gift for my half-sister, Adalynn. Caden didn't even look up when I walked in; he was too busy laughing with the girl who had already stolen my father's legacy and was now moving in on my family. "Auntie Addie is a million times better than Mommy," my daughter Elara chirped, clutching a plush toy Caden had once forbidden me from buying for her. "Mommy is mean," she whispered loudly, while Caden just smirked, calling me a "drill sergeant" before whisking her off to Adalynn's party without a second glance. Later that night, I saw a video Adalynn posted online where my husband and child laughed while mocking my "sensitive" nature, treating me like an inconvenient ghost in my own home. I had spent five years researching nutrition for Elara's health and managing every detail of Caden's empire, only to be discarded the moment I wasn't in the room. How could the man who set his safe combination to my birthday completely forget I even existed? The realization didn't break me; it turned me into ice. I didn't scream or beg for an explanation. I simply walked into the study, pulled out the divorce papers I'd drafted months ago, and took a black marker to the terms. I crossed out the alimony, the mansion, and even the custody clause-if they wanted a life without me, I would give them exactly what they asked for. I left my four-carat diamond ring on the console table and walked out into the rain with nothing but a heavily encrypted hard drive. The submissive Mrs. Holloway was gone, and "Ghost," the most lethal architect in the tech world, was finally back online to take back everything they thought I'd forgotten.

HIS DOE, HIS DAMNATION(An Erotic Billionaire Romance)

HIS DOE, HIS DAMNATION(An Erotic Billionaire Romance)

Viviene
4.9

Trigger/Content Warning: This story contains mature themes and explicit content intended for adult audiences(18+). Reader discretion is advised. It includes elements such as BDSM dynamics, explicit sexual content, toxic family relationships, occasional violence and strong language. This is not a fluffy romance. It is intense, raw and messy, and explores the darker side of desire. ***** "Take off your dress, Meadow." "Why?" "Because your ex is watching," he said, leaning back into his seat. "And I want him to see what he lost." ••••*••••*••••* Meadow Russell was supposed to get married to the love of her life in Vegas. Instead, she walked in on her twin sister riding her fiance. One drink at the bar turned to ten. One drunken mistake turned into reality. And one stranger's offer turned into a contract that she signed with shaking hands and a diamond ring. Alaric Ashford is the devil in a tailored Tom Ford suit. Billionaire CEO, brutal, possessive. A man born into an empire of blood and steel. He also suffers from a neurological condition-he can't feel. Not objects, not pain, not even human touch. Until Meadow touches him, and he feels everything. And now he owns her. On paper and in his bed. She wants him to ruin her. Take what no one else could have. He wants control, obedience... revenge. But what starts as a transaction slowly turns into something Meadow never saw coming. Obsession, secrets that were never meant to surface, and a pain from the past that threatens to break everything. Alaric doesn't share what's his. Not his company. Not his wife. And definitely not his vengeance.

The Billionaire's Blind Bride: No Mercy

The Billionaire's Blind Bride: No Mercy

Emma
4.3

I married Clive Harrington, the coldest billionaire in Manhattan, under a strict contract that forbade any emotional burdens. When I needed a high-risk surgery to save my sight, I checked into the clinic alone, hiding the procedure from a husband who saw me as nothing more than a legal asset. I thought I could handle the darkness in silence. But while I was blind and bandaged in my hospital bed, my biological mother called, screaming that if I didn't produce a Harrington heir by the end of the fiscal year, she would cut off the life-saving treatments for my disabled sister. I was crawling on the cold hospital floor, desperately feeling for a cane I had dropped, when I touched a pair of expensive leather shoes. It was Clive. He was supposed to be in London closing a multi-million dollar deal, but there he was, watching his "contract wife" groveling in the dark like a beggar. He didn't walk away in disgust. He carried me to a five-thousand-dollar-a-night VIP suite and sat by my bed, listening in chilling silence as another voicemail from my mother filled the room, calling me a "useless broodmare" who was only worth the trust fund disbursements my marriage secured. I expected him to remind me of Clause 34B or hand me divorce papers now that I was "damaged goods." Instead, I felt his thumb brush a stray tear from my cheek, his presence shifting from a statue of ice into a predatory shield. "I thought I was just currency to you," I whispered, my voice trembling behind the gauze. "Just an investment." Clive didn't answer with words. He picked up his phone and called his head of legal with a single, terrifying command: "Kill the Douglas family’s credit lines. Every debt, every lien—trigger them all. If they want a war, I’ll give them a massacre." As he leaned down to kiss my bandaged forehead, I realized the contract was dead. My husband wasn't protecting an asset anymore; he was hunting the people who had dared to touch what belonged to him.

Chapters
Read Now
Download Book
Undercover billionaire and the bakery bandit. Undercover billionaire and the bakery bandit. Nova7 Billionaires
“Addie, a fiery baker, struggles to keep her family bakery afloat. Alex Thorne (disguised as Alex Rivers), a reclusive billionaire disguised as a struggling artist, determined to save the bakery for his own reasons. As they work together, a sizzling romance ignites. However, a series of robberies targeting prized recipes and a manipulative stepmother threaten their newfound love and the bakery's future. Can Addie learn to trust Alex, uncover the truth behind the robberies, and safeguard her family legacy?”
1

Chapter 1 1 A day in my life

25/09/2024

2

Chapter 2 Billionaire's Gambit

25/09/2024

3

Chapter 3 Sparks of Curiosity

25/09/2024

4

Chapter 4 A Brewing Storm

25/09/2024

5

Chapter 5 The Break-In

25/09/2024

6

Chapter 6 Unseen Shadows

25/09/2024

7

Chapter 7 The Silent Watcher

26/09/2024

8

Chapter 8 Shadows in the Dough

26/09/2024

9

Chapter 9 A Bitter Confrontation

26/09/2024

10

Chapter 10 Sparks of Trust

26/09/2024

11

Chapter 11 Secrets and Shadows

27/09/2024

12

Chapter 12 Everything Taken

27/09/2024

13

Chapter 13 A Moment Lost

27/09/2024

14

Chapter 14 The confrontation

27/09/2024

15

Chapter 15 Secrets Unravel

27/09/2024