Trouble at Work

At this moment, a crowd had formed in the International Airport of Dalaget.

The crowd of people was mostly composed of journalists who had been waiting in the airport for hours. Although their wait was long, none of them felt that it was tiring for the person that was about to arrive was someone that they would definitely cover for their report.

When the clock arrived at 9 PM, the sound of a jet engine reverberated in the distance.

"Why is that plane so loud when it's still so far?" A member of the crowd asked. He was not a journalist, but a curious onlooker.

"It's a fighter jet escort!" A journalist cried out.

"What?! Fighter jets are escorting a passenger plane?"

"No! That's not a passenger plane! That's a private jet!"

"Holy smokes..."

The crowd was baffled and amazed at the same time when they saw that the fighter jets were indeed escorting a private plane.

In half an hour, the plane finally landed at the airport and the excitement of the journalists shot through the roof.

"M-M-Miss Amelia!"

"Miss Amelia! Why did you come and visit this humble city of Dalaget? Are you visiting a relative, or are you here for business?"

A blonde-haired woman of Russian descent was being escorted by a group of world-renowned bodyguards. With the protection of these bodyguards, the journalists just couldn't make it to Amelia. Taking off her sunglasses, the curves on Amelia's body was emphasized by the red long-sleeved pencil dress that she was wearing.

Her green eyes swept across the crowd and a bewitching smile spread on her lips as she said...

"Everyone... I came here to teach someone how to bake!"

Amelia's words rang loud and clear and it became akin to that of a thunderbolt that descended onto the crowd out of nowhere.

The crowd was silenced.

But in the very next moment, they went into a frenzy.

"What?!"

"That Amelia Amery visited our country just to teach someone how to bake?!"

"Oh my god!"

"What kind of a person could possibly invite her to teach them how to bake?"

"This is a scoop!"

"This is an explosive scoop!"

In an instant, the scene was inundated with camera flashes.

Amelia stared unblinkingly at one of the television cameras. Her eyes seemed to be hinting at someone.

"Miss Amery. We have to go now." A bodyguard came up and whispered to her.

"Call me, Miss Amelia." Amelia casually waved her hand as she turned around and left with her bodyguards.

The journalists didn't dare to block her way anymore. But it wasn't that they had given up after hours of waiting. It wasn't like that at all!

Instead, it was because they felt that the information that they had acquired today was enough to satisfy their appetites!

In an instant, the journalists that had gathered started to furiously email their bosses.

They must be the first ones to publish this news!

After all, Amelia Amery was the only woman pastry master chef that has been awarded a total of 69 Michelin Stars award.

She has a total of 42 stars throughout her restaurants.

Furthermore, she was also appointed as an Officer of the Order of the Rozenstruik Empire by the King of the Rozenstruik Empire due to her contributions to the hospitality industry.

She was also a writer, a television personality, an actress, and a reserved military officer.

Just the number of the Michelin Stars she had gathered alone was enough proof of her capabilities and just how earth-shaking her influence was.

And to sum all of these up, she was also the CEO of a successful multinational conglomerate, Camery Askaway.

...

Meanwhile back in the facility that Henry bought to practice baking.

Patrick and Henry were once again hard at work.

Beaded perspiration was on their faces as the two of them stirred the batter to the consistency that they wanted.

Once they were satisfied with the consistency of the batter, Henry moved and placed the batter in the cupcake liners that Patrick had prepared beforehand. Then, he placed the cupcakes into the oven.

"Finally done, now we have to wait 15 to 17 minutes and it should be good to go,"

Patrick commented.

Henry smiled at him before he let out a sigh and said, "Patrick, I am starting to feel that I am not progressing."

Patrick bitterly smiled.

As much as he wanted to help Henry, he was never a professional pastry chef!

In fact, he didn't even know that baking chefs were actually called pastry chefs till a few days ago!

How could he be possibly qualified to teach Henry the ways of baking?

"My progress is also not good in the past few days, sir."

"That's to be expected, we are both newbies in the way of baking. Speaking of baking, have you already contacted a chef that is willing to sign a non-disclosure agreement that would last for their entire life?" Henry asked.

Patrick's figure stiffened. He suddenly didn't know what to say.

He had submitted a request from the government—or more specifically to Golden Dragon, but Patrick still hadn't heard a reply.

Henry could see the awkward look on Patrick's face and he couldn't help but sigh.

"It's understandable that they are not willing to help me due to the terms. Anyway, let's just perfect the cupcakes first. Then, we'll talk about other pastries and desserts."

Henry made a decision and decided to place these matters into the back burner of his mind.

When the cupcakes came out of the oven, Henry was quick to give them a taste.

But a frown spread on his face when he compared the store-bought cupcakes and the cupcakes that he had made.

There was a vast difference between the two.

A difference that he couldn't quite grasp.

Patrick also noticed this difference and he turned to look in Henry's direction.

But not even a frown was on Henry's face as he casually finished all the cupcakes and said, "It's getting late. Let's retire for the day."

"S-S-Sir, yes, sir!"

Henry stared at him.

Patrick was choked for words as he immediately corrected. "Yes, sir Henry!"

...

The next morning in Bayton Realty, a frown was on Christine's face as she looked at the documents in front of her.

"Christine, are you doing good there?"

A voice rang out beside Christine.

It came from Aunt Rinna.

"A-Aunt Rinna... It's nothing, it's just that..." Christine was about to hide the documents when Aunt Rinna furrowed her eyebrows.

"A Letter of Rejection from the Land Regulatory Authority? Is it about that land near the elementary school? Why did they deny your application?"

Aunt Rinna took the document from Christine's hand and inspected it, "Due to applicable zoning laws, the permission to transfer the rights to this land from the Bayton Realty to Henry Murray with the former as the middleman is hereby denied..."

"Applicable zoning laws? What a load of bullshit! Did you somehow offend someone from the Land Regulatory Authority? It's true that there are some zoning laws that can legally block us from selling this land, but those laws are flexible!"

"What's more, they can be circumvented by having a pair of an architect, and an engineer that's worth their salt..."

"Someone is deliberately causing trouble for you, I bet!" Aunt Rinna was exasperated.

"W-W-What should I do? I need the money in three days, or else those people might..." Christine looked pale and anxious.

"Goddamned it, Christine! You took out loans from them again?"

"I-I have to! I have no choice, the landlord suddenly raised our rent and I have to pay him last month, or else I would've been kicked out!"

"What an unscrupulous landlord! Casually raising up the rent. Is he still human?"

Aunt Rinna's anger was further exacerbated. "How much do you need? I should be able to help you."

"N-No!"

Christine hurriedly waved her hand in a panic. "You don't have to do this for me, Aunt Rinna... I still haven't... I still haven't paid you for that loan three months ago."

Aunt Rinna convinced. "If I don't do this, then what will happen to you and your daughter three days ago? Just who did you offend from the Land Regulatory Authority? If this rejection didn't happen, then you would've already had your funds released from escrow today!"

"Now, with this delay—it will take maybe three days or another week to receive an answer from your appeal. Or worse, it would take a few months!"

"Can your client wait that long?" Aunt Rinna looked worried.

"That's right, can your client wait that long, Christine?"

A mocking voice suddenly rang out.

It came from Rose who stood there and stared mockingly at Christine's teary-eyed face.

In an instant, Aunt Rinna was angered. "What makes you think that you can say something like that, Rose?"

"Hmmph." Rose coldly snorted. "I don't converse with women that are in their early menopausal stage."

"You..." Aunt Rinna abruptly stood up and pointed a finger at her.

"You what? You're going to slap me? Sure! Do it. Do it, and I will report you to my boyfriend."

"My boyfriend is an official from the Land Regulatory Authority. Slap me and I'll make sure to turn your life into a living hell!" Rose threatened.

"You bitch, so that was you!"

Aunt Rinna raised her hand to slap Rose across her face, but Christine held her back.

"C-Christine!" Aunt Rinna was astonished.

"You don't have to do this for me, Aunt Rinna." Christine stared hard at Rose and said, "Do whatever you must, but remember that I will succeed! You will never have this job contract!"

"Hahaha..."

Rose seemed to have heard the funniest job in the world as she boisterously laughed, "All right, I'll tell my boyfriend to look at your appeal application after a few months..."

"Also, I heard that you borrowed from those loan sharks again? Wow, what a ballsy move. The deadline is in three days, and you have to pay them ten thousand dollars or else something bad will happen?"

Rose sarcastically said, "I hope you and your daughter will be fine by th—"

"Don't you dare include my daughter in this!"

A resounding slap rang out.

The salesmen and salesladies in the area stared wide-eyed at the scene.

"You..." Rose held her burning cheek. "You bitch! You actually slapped me?! I'm going to fight it out with you!"

Rose charged at Christine in fury.

But before their fight could even escalate to the point of drawing blood, the security guards came in and separated the two.

The supervisor also arrived and glared at Christine.

"Christine! Why are you so being so arrogant? Is it because you've managed to snag a high-profile client?"

The supervisor was a man who looked to be in his late forties.

His hair looked out of place since he was wearing a wig that covered his receded hairline.

"No... It's not like—"

"Shut up!"

"Did I permit you to speak?! Outrageous!" The supervisor was so furious that veins bulged on his forehead.

Standing behind him was Rose that wore a look of satisfaction on her face.

She seemed to be delighted seeing Christine being scolded like this.

"Because of what you have done today, I would've normally fired you by now. But since you're attending to a high-profile client, I'll let you off with a suspension! Go home, take a rest, and cool off! I don't want this to ever happen again, do you understand?!" The supervisor scolded.

Christine's face went pale.

Being suspended meant that the hours she spent at work today wouldn't be paid to her at the end of the month.

Swimming in debt, Christine valued each and every cent.

She couldn't afford to be suspended.

"But, sir... I—"

"Shut up!"

"My decision is final!"

"Go home!"

The supervisor turned around and left the scene.

He didn't even listen to Christine's explanation even once throughout the entire ordeal.

Christine was devastated.

Especially when he saw the look of triumph and mocking on Rose's face as she left with the supervisor.

"That slut!" Aunt Rinna criticized under her breath. "We all know that the supervisor's only favoring her because she's doing that kind of thing with him behind the scenes, yet she still dares to flaunt her ill-gotten authority? What a bitch!" Aunt Rinna was so angry that she wanted to spew out flames.

Christine absentmindedly stood up.

Walking out of the door, Aunt Rinna didn't know what to say nor what to do.

She just sat there and watched her friend disappear in the distance.

Rose stared at the disappearing back of Christine from the third floor of the building.

On her hand was a phone as she said, "My sweet honey pie, how are you? Remember that bitch that I told you before? She slapped me today!"

"What?"

"You're willing to do that for me? You're willing to postpone the rights deal for a few months? A few months is the limit of what you can do? No, that's not a problem! In fact, I only need three days and this bitch will be killed by those loan sharks!"

Rose talked with the man on the other end of the call for quite a while.

When the call was ended, a sinister look was on her face.

"You will never be able to seal that deal, Christine!"

"What's supposed to be mine, will still fall in my hands in the end... Struggle all you want, but you will still fail!"