Chapter 210: Who are you people

Lily and Silvia had always known that Gen’s life was far from ordinary. They still remembered the day she had walked into the bakery for her interview, carrying herself with an unusual mixture of confidence and vulnerability.

Yet neither of them had ever questioned her about her past.

Gen was cheerful and fun-loving, always ready with a joke, but she rarely spoke about her family. Over time, they had learned that her mother had passed away when she was young, though Gen had never revealed the circumstances surrounding her death.

Now, hearing her mention murder, both women felt their hearts sink.

Gen lowered her gaze to the award resting in her lap. Her eyes gradually filled with tears, yet a faint smile appeared on her lips.

"Madam reopened my mother’s case," she whispered.

Lily and Silvia exchanged stunned glances.

"My father, Thomas, brutally murdered her. And instead of taking responsibility, he blamed everything on me."

"What?" Lily gasped.

Gen nodded, struggling to keep her voice steady.

"I was sent to prison for a crime I never committed. All those years, I kept wondering whether anyone would ever believe me."

Her fingers tightened around the award.

"But Madam believed me. She made sure the investigation was reopened, and now there’s finally a chance that my mother will get justice."

Her voice broke on the final word.

Unable to hold back any longer, Gen covered her face and burst into tears.

Silvia immediately knelt beside her and wrapped her arms around her trembling shoulders.

"Oh, Gen..."

Lily’s eyes welled with tears as she moved closer.

"Why didn’t you ever tell us?"

Gen shook her head helplessly.

"I was scared. After everything that happened, I didn’t know whom I could trust."

Lily gently took her hand.

"You can trust us, you idiot."

Gen let out a tearful laugh.

Silvia tightened her embrace.

"And you don’t have to face any of this alone anymore."

For the first time in years, Gen allowed herself to cry without feeling ashamed.

For a while, none of them said anything. Silvia continued rubbing Gen’s back while Lily held her hand, allowing her to cry until she felt a little better.

"I’m sorry," Gen finally murmured, wiping her cheeks. "I didn’t mean to ruin everyone’s morning."

Lily immediately frowned.

"Excuse me? Who said you ruined anything?"

Gen sniffled.

"Well, I came here crying instead of celebrating."

"So what? Are we supposed to celebrate only when you’re smiling?" Lily asked, looking offended.

Silvia nodded in agreement.

"Exactly. Besides, you finally have a reason to cry happy tears."

Gen let out a small laugh.

"Happy tears?"

"Yes!" Lily declared. "And once you’re done, we’re going to celebrate properly. I’m talking about cake, delicious food, and absolutely no work for the rest of the day!"

Silvia immediately turned toward her.

"Hold on. Who said we’re closing the bakery?"

Lily blinked innocently.

"I was just making a suggestion."

"More like looking for an excuse to avoid work."

"But seriously, have you all forgotten about the man who came here yesterday?" Silvia suddenly asked. "He clearly warned us to vacate the bakery by tomorrow. Otherwise, Crownwell Holdings will take legal action against Madam."

The cheerful atmosphere immediately disappeared.

Lily and Gen exchanged worried glances, their smiles fading.

"I still can’t believe Madam’s own family would stoop this low," Lily muttered, recalling everything that had happened at the charity event. "Wasn’t framing her for attempted murder enough? Now they want to take away her bakery too?"

Gen’s expression darkened.

"People like them don’t know when to stop."

Silvia clenched her fists.

"Honestly, I wish I could punch them the way I punch dough. They desperately need someone to knock some sense into them!"

Lily stared at her.

"Remind me never to make you angry when you’re kneading bread."

"Don’t worry. Unlike certain people, I only attack things that deserve it."

Gen couldn’t help chuckling, though her amusement quickly faded.

"But what are we going to do? We can’t possibly leave this place by tomorrow."

Silvia sighed and glanced around the bakery.

"Madam worked so hard to build this business. There’s no way we’re letting those people destroy everything."

"Exactly!" Lily declared. "If they think they can scare us away with a few legal documents, they’ve seriously underestimated us."

Gen nodded firmly.

"Madam helped me get my life back. I’m not going to stand around while someone tries to ruin hers."

Silvia smiled at her friends.

"Then we’re all in this together."

"Obviously!" Lily replied before raising her fist dramatically. "Operation Save Our Bakery officially begins!"

Gen laughed.

"And what exactly is your brilliant plan?"

Lily paused.

"Well... I was hoping one of you had one."

Silvia rolled her eyes.

"Wonderful. Our fearless leader doesn’t even have a plan."

"Hey! Every great operation needs a motivational speech first!"

Despite their worries, all three women burst into laughter.

However, their amusement was short-lived when the bakery’s front door suddenly flew open with a loud bang.

Before anyone could react, several burly men stormed inside.

"Hey! Who are you people?" Lily demanded, startled by their sudden appearance.

The men ignored her. One of them grabbed a nearby chair and hurled it across the room, while another began sweeping everything off the counter.

The sound of shattering glass echoed throughout the bakery.

"What the hell are you doing?" Silvia shouted, rushing forward.

"Stay back!" one of the men barked, shoving her aside.

Gen immediately caught Silvia before she could fall.

"Don’t touch her!" she snapped.

The man sneered.

"You people were warned to vacate this property. Since you refused, we’re here to make sure you understand."

Lily’s eyes widened in disbelief.

"Are you insane? We were given until tomorrow!"

"Not our problem."

Without another word, the man kicked over a display stand, sending freshly baked pastries tumbling onto the floor.

Silvia clenched her fists, her face turning red with anger.

"You bastards! Do you have any idea how much work went into making those?"

She tried to step forward, but Gen quickly grabbed her arm.

"Silvia, don’t! They’re deliberately provoking us."