Chapter 23

Morning sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains and cast a soft glow over the bedroom. Zoe stretched lazily as her nose caught the warm aroma of freshly toasted bread. Walking into the kitchen barefoot, she wrapped her arms around Luke, who was cooking. "Good morning," she murmured, nuzzling against his back. "Why are you up so early today?" He turned and kissed her lightly on the forehead. "Do you remember we have a photoshoot scheduled today? We're taking promotional pictures for your bakery." That was when Zoe recalled the important plans for the day. The bakery they purchased three months ago was finally renovated and ready for a soft opening tomorrow. She and Luke had been in a relationship for three months now. Suddenly, her phone buzzed. It was a message from Colton—they'd exchanged numbers back then. As she tapped on it, her smile froze. "Alder somehow found out your address, but as you know, the Holts can't leave Cerulea due to special reasons. So, he poured tre