The Man Who Never Looked Away novel Chapter 288

When they finally made it to the front of the line, Lavinia wanted to try everything. She bought seven or eight different types of pastries, taking half a pound of each.

When she paid, the total came out to less than twenty dollars.

Beside her, a young girl who had also bought a massive haul was taking photos for social media. She sent a voice memo to her friend: "I just found this hidden gem of a bakery! Everything is handmade, and the ingredients are amazing. I'll send you the location!"

Lavinia looked up at Charley, who was already gazing down at her with warm, deep eyes.

The two of them found an empty table at a lemon tea shop next door. Lavinia eagerly tore open the bags.

Peanut Crisps, Almond Brittle, Caramel Puffs, Red Bean Puffs...

Every single piece was delicious, crafted with authentic, traditional methods.

"It's so good..." Lavinia murmured, her eyes cast downward.

"Have a drink, don't choke." Charley pushed the cup of lemon tea toward her and pulled out a small notebook. "This is the ledger for the first month. Look at the revenue. I wasn't lying to you; the shop is making money. It's not a massive fortune, but it's a solid profit."

Lavinia took the notebook and flipped through it. The profit margin was strictly controlled at 10%. Small margins, high volume, and treating customers with sincerity—that had always been her parents' business philosophy.

She was completely speechless, her heart swelling with an overwhelming sense of gratitude.

"You paid for all of this. How can you just give it to me? Just seeing this little shop resurrected is more than I ever could have asked for," she mumbled softly, keeping her head down.

Charley spoke in a gentle tone, "Consider it an addition to your dowry." He paused, studying her intently before his voice dropped an octave. "In the future, it'll be mine too."

Lavinia kept her gaze fixed on the neat rows of numbers in the ledger, her fingers twitching involuntarily.

They lingered in the area for a while longer. The bakery closed right at eight o'clock, maintaining the exact same hours it had in the old days.

They did good, honest work, but refused to burn themselves out chasing every last dime.

Seeing that it was getting late, Charley drove Lavinia back to the Gilmore Estate.

As they neared the estate, Charley pulled over by the side of the road. Under a banyan tree not far away stood a man in a black shirt, his baseball cap pulled low. Charley frowned in disgust. "Like a ghost that won't go away."

"Is it another tail?" Lavinia asked.

Charley's eyes darkened, but he didn't say anything.

"I'll get out here, then. Don't step out of the car. There's no need to give him any ammunition right now and complicate things."

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