Chapter 6 - When the Past Comes KnockingDetermined to save both the bakery and the Dawson house, Harper and I decided to fight back. But Apex Healthcare didn't play fair.
The following week, municipal inspectors suddenly showed up at Mercer’s Bakery. They cited minor, obscure code violations—claiming my electrical wiring was outdated and my plumbing needed an overhaul—threatening to shut down my kitchen until costly repairs were made.
At the same time, Harper received formal notice that her father’s transfer process to the distant facility in Cincinnati had been expedited.
The pressure was crushing.
One rain-slicked evening, a sleek BMW pulled up outside the Dawson house. A tall man in a navy trench coat stepped out—Dr. Julian Vance, a wealthy senior neurologist from the city hospital where Harper used to work.
I watched from the bakery window as Julian walked up her porch steps. He was polished, handsome, and carried himself with the effortless confidence of money.
Unable to sit idly, I walked over under my umbrella to check on her.
Inside the Dawson living room, Julian was sipping tea while Harper stood near the fireplace.
“Harper, it’s senseless to ruin your life over a small-town house,” Julian was saying smoothly as I walked in through the back door. “Come back to Columbus. The hospital board values you. I can personally clear your father’s debts through our medical foundation and secure him a private room in our city facility.”
Harper looked torn, her hands wrapped tightly around her arms.
Julian turned, eyeing my damp work clothes and boots with subtle condescension. “And you must be the local baker. Harper spoke about you. It’s sweet that you help her, but this is a high-level financial and medical crisis. You can’t solve this with flour and cinnamon.”
I stepped forward, meeting Julian’s gaze without backing down. “Harper doesn't need a savior who treats her father like a transaction, Dr. Vance. She needs people who actually care about her home.”
Julian chuckled softly, standing up and buttoning his coat. “Pride is expensive in the real world, Mr. Mercer. Harper, the foundation offer stands until Friday. Think about what’s best for your father.”
May you like
After Julian left, silence hung heavy in the room.
Harper looked at me, her eyes filled with pain. “He’s right about one thing, Owen. Time is running out. If I don't take his offer, Dad gets moved to Cincinnati next week.”
Related Stories
