Lara stood frozen on the Baking with Love set, her hazel eyes locked on Jake—her ex—strutting in as the guest judge, his blonde hair slicked back, his blue suit crisp, his smirk cutting through the studio lights (Chapter 27). Ethan tensed beside her, his green eyes narrowing, his black hair messy from their last bake, his white shirt wrinkled under his apron. The audience buzzed, teens whispering, "That's the ex who cheated on her!" their phones out, the drama already trending online.
"Welcome back, Lara," Jake said, his voice smooth, his blue eyes lingering on her a beat too long, a clear attempt to rattle her. "Let's see if your baking's improved since we split." Ethan's jaw clenched, his hand brushing Lara's, a silent support, but jealousy flickered in his green eyes, the memory of Jake's betrayal (Chapter 5) still raw for both of them.
The challenge was a "Memory Lane" dessert—bake something tied to a past relationship. Lara and Ethan chose a cupcake trio—vanilla for their fake start, chocolate for their real love, and strawberry for overcoming the odds. But Jake kept flirting, "Remember our late-night cake nights, Lara?" his tone suggestive, the cameras catching Ethan's glare, tension rising. Backstage, Ethan snapped, "He's doing this on purpose—messing with us!" Lara fired back, "I can handle him, Ethan—stop overreacting!"
The argument left them cold, but that night, they met at Sweet Haven, the bakery quiet, the smell of dough calming them. They baked together, a simple bread loaf, their hands brushing as they kneaded, their silence breaking into laughter when Ethan dropped flour on her nose. "I'm sorry," he whispered, his green eyes soft, pulling her close, his kiss gentle, their love mending the rift, stronger than Jake's games.
But the next day, Mia and Leo, their rivals, sabotaged their prep—swapping sugar for salt, their next bake at risk, the drama intensifying as the cameras rolled, their victory hanging by a thread.
To be continued…