Lara stood in the darkened Sweet Haven, the crowd outside growing restless, the power outage threatening to ruin their fundraiser (Chapter 24). Her hazel eyes burned with frustration, her curly brown hair a mess, her hands clenched. Ethan grabbed her hand, his green eyes steady, his voice calm. "We've got this, Lara. Let's adapt."
They rallied the teens, who ran home for battery-powered camping lanterns, turning the bake-off into a cozy, candlelit event. Chloe brought her coffee shop's portable gas griddles, and they kept baking—cookies, brownies, anything they could manage. The teens spread the word online—"#SweetHavenUnplugged—baking by lantern light!"—and the crowd grew, drawn by the magic of the moment, their support overwhelming, sales soaring past Victor's bid for the building.
Victor stormed over, his suit wrinkled, his face red with anger. "You can't win this, Lara!" he shouted, but the teens booed him, one kid throwing a cookie at his shoe, the crowd laughing, their loyalty clear. By midnight, they'd raised enough to outbid Victor, securing the building—Sweet Haven was theirs, for good.
The power flickered back on, fairy lights glowing, and Lara turned to Ethan, her hazel eyes shining with tears of joy, her heart full. "We did it," she whispered, throwing her arms around him, his green eyes warm, his black hair messy as he lifted her off the ground, spinning her under the stars. They kissed, long and slow, the crowd cheering, their love a victory sweeter than any cupcake.
As the night ended, a sleek car pulled up—a producer from a TV baking show, who'd seen the viral #SweetHavenUnplugged posts. "I want you two on my show," she said, her voice excited. "A baking couple with your story? It's gold. What do you say?"
Lara and Ethan exchanged a look, their hands clasped, their future bright but uncertain, the TV offer a new adventure waiting to unfold.
To be continued…