Emma Taylor wiped flour-dusted hands on her apron, surveying Sweet Serendipity bakery with pride.
Her grandparents had left her this charming shop, and she'd poured heart and soul into making it thrive.
The bell above the door jingled, signaling the lunch rush. Emma smiled, greeting regulars by name as they ordered sandwiches and pastries.
Just as the crowd thinned, her phone buzzed with a text from her best friend Sophie:
"OMG, have you seen Ryan Thompson's latest blog post?!"
Emma's heart sank as she opened the link on her phone:
**"Baker's Blunders: Sweet Serendipity Falls Flat"**
Ryan Thompson, food blogger extraordinaire, had viciously reviewed her bakery.
His words cut deep:
"Sweet Serendipity promises serendipity but delivers bland, mass-produced pastries.
The 'famous' lemon bars tasted like store-bought sadness."
Emma's eyes narrowed. Who was Ryan Thompson to destroy her bakery's reputation?
She marched to the bakery case, slamming her hands on the glass:
"I'll show him serendipity – and a whole lot of sass!"
Just then, the doorbell jingled again. Emma looked up to see a tall, dark-haired man walking in –
Ryan Thompson himself, looking smug and oblivious to the storm he'd created.