The Ghost in the Bakery
Emma stepped off the train, the chill European morning air biting at her cheeks.
E.g. ：The horrifying secret hidden deep within the mansion's walls just destroyed my entire family.
- 1、The Ghost in the Bakery
- 2、A Stolen Reflection
- 3、The Father’s Plea
- 4、The Bakery’s Burden
- 5、The Erased Twin
- 6、A Daughter’s Dilemma
- 7、The Unspoken Truth
She pulled her simple gray sweater tighter around herself.
It had been years since she’d walked these cobblestone streets.
Years since she’d seen the familiar, comforting façade of Morgan’s Bakery.
A small smile touched her lips, a rare genuine moment for Emma.
Her twin sister, Olivia, was the confident one, the sunshine.
Emma had always been the quiet shadow.
Today, she was determined to change that.
She wanted to reconnect with her family, with her past.
Her phone buzzed with an alert, a local news snippet.
“OLIVIA MORGAN EXPANDS FAMILY BAKERY,” the headline blared.
Emma felt a flicker of confusion.
Olivia hadn’t mentioned any expansion plans in their sporadic calls.
The article included a blurry photo, a woman with long auburn hair, her sister.
Emma felt a familiar pang of being out of the loop.
As she neared the bakery, the scent of warm yeast and sweet cinnamon filled the air.
It was a smell that promised nostalgia, a return to simpler times.
But what awaited her inside was anything but simple.
A Stolen Reflection
She pushed open the heavy wooden door, the bell above chiming a familiar tune.
The bakery was bustling, morning rush in full swing.
“Emma, you made it,” she mumbled to herself, a little nervous.
Then, a customer turned, a wide, beaming smile on her face.
“Olivia! Congratulations, darling!” the woman exclaimed, rushing forward.
Emma froze, her smile faltering.
“Oh, you look absolutely radiant,” another customer chimed in.
“The new expansion sounds wonderful!”
Emma tried to interject, to explain the misunderstanding.
But the words caught in her throat.
Every face was lit with warmth and recognition, but it wasn't for her.
It was for Olivia.
She glanced at the gleaming glass display cases, filled with artfully arranged pastries.
Her reflection stared back.
But it wasn't quite her.
Her short, dark bob was gone, replaced by Olivia’s flowing auburn hair.
And she was wearing a familiar, elegant cream coat, Olivia’s signature piece.
A shiver traced its way down Emma's spine.
This wasn't just a mistake.
This was a nightmare in broad daylight.
The Father’s Plea
Then, a large, flour-dusted hand landed gently on her shoulder.
Her father.
His eyes, usually so sharp and discerning, were clouded with what looked like relief, even desperation.
He pulled her into a tight, crushing hug.
“Welcome home, Olivia,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.
Emma’s breath hitched.
Her own father.
He couldn't possibly be mistaken.
She pushed back slightly, looking into his eyes.
“Dad… I’m Emma,” she said, her voice barely a whisper.
The words hung in the air, shattering the fragile peace of the morning.
His expression, so full of warmth moments before, suddenly changed.
It was a flicker of confusion, then fear, and finally, a deep, unsettling sorrow.
He pulled away, his gaze falling on an old, framed photograph hanging on the wall.
It was a treasured family portrait, taken years ago.
The twins, young and smiling, with their parents.
Emma’s eyes darted to it.
Her breath caught in her throat.
Her face, her young, innocent face, was gone.
Digitally replaced.
In every photograph adorning the bakery walls, her image had been painstakingly removed.
Only Olivia remained, duplicated, edited, always present.
Her father turned back to her, his voice a strained whisper.
“Then where is your sister?”
The question wasn't about Olivia’s location.
It was a terrifying implication about Emma’s own existence.
The Bakery’s Burden
Olivia had always been the driving force behind Morgan’s Bakery.
Her infectious energy, her innovative recipes, her natural charm with customers.
She was the heir apparent, destined to take the bakery to new heights.
Emma, the quieter twin, had found her passion elsewhere.
She pursued history and art, a world away from flour and sugar.
But now, she understood the unspoken truth.
The bakery was struggling.
More than struggling, it was drowning.
Her father, a man once so proud and unyielding, was crumbling under the weight of debt.
Olivia’s grand plans for expansion, touted in the newspaper, were nothing but a desperate facade.
A fiction created to attract investment, to secure a lifeline.
But Olivia herself was gone.
Not just missing, but gone.
Emma's mind reeled back to a phone call a few months prior.
Olivia had been frantic, talking about a risky venture, a desperate loan.
