Chapter 39: Her disguised husband

"Santino?" Soraya murmured as the name suddenly came to mind. She stared at the oddly dressed man for another moment, finally recognizing him despite his disguise.

It was HER HUSBAND!

She couldn’t believe he had actually followed her to the bakery after she had made it clear not to follow her.

Soraya walked over to his table and stopped beside him. Her gaze fell on the untouched pastry in front of him before returning to his concealed face.

"You haven’t even touched your pastry. How long are you planning to sit here?" she asked, keeping her voice low. "If you leave, another customer can take this chair."

Santino remained seated, showing no intention of getting up. Soraya narrowed her eyes at him, silently wondering whether he genuinely believed that his ridiculous disguise would fool her.

Meanwhile, Claire was too occupied with the orders to hear their conversation. When the cashier leaned towards her and whispered something in her ear, she nodded and headed towards the back of the bakery, leaving Soraya alone with her disguised husband.

Santino reached for the dessert spoon, intending to try the pastry, when Soraya suddenly pulled off his hat and goggles.

"Wait!" he exclaimed, looking up at her, but it was too late. His disguise had been exposed, and Soraya was staring at him with an expression that made it clear she wasn’t amused.

A few customers glanced in their direction, curious about the commotion, but most quickly returned to their conversations and meals.

Santino, however, remained seated, looking at his wife as though he had done nothing wrong.

"Finish it," Soraya ordered before turning around and returning to her place behind the counter.

She couldn’t believe he had gone to such lengths just to stay close to her. He had followed her to the bakery, disguised himself like some suspicious stranger, and even tried to hide his identity from her. She shook her head in disbelief as she glanced at him again.

’How could he do something like this? Doesn’t he feel hot wearing all those clothes?’

As if answering her question, Santino finally began removing his oversized coat. He set it aside and loosened his clothing, looking much more comfortable without the ridiculous disguise.

A little later, Claire returned from the back of the bakery and approached Soraya.

"Tomorrow, we need to go to a nearby village to collect some supplies," she informed her.

"Why?" Soraya asked, turning towards her.

"The woman who usually supplies us with the ingredients sprained her ankle. Her son is still young, and her husband is out of town, so she can’t arrange the delivery herself," Claire explained. She pulled out a chair beside Soraya and sat down, taking advantage of the brief lull to rest.

Then Claire’s attention shifted towards the man sitting at the table. Her eyes widened as she recognized him, and she stared at him in disbelief.

"Is that Santino?" she asked, barely blinking as she looked from him to Soraya. "Wait! He actually came here to check on you?"

"Yeah. I’m not going to forgive him," Soraya muttered through gritted teeth, still annoyed that Santino hadn’t kept his promise.

Claire lightly smacked her arm. "Are you serious? Can’t you see how much he loves you? He even pushed that man away when he tried to flirt with you earlier. Gosh, that was so—so good!" she exclaimed, looking delighted by the memory. "He’s such a good husband to you!"

Soraya rolled her eyes at Claire’s enthusiasm. She couldn’t deny that Santino had his good qualities. He cared about her, tried to make her happy. His actions sometimes made it difficult for her to believe that he was the same man who had forced her into their marriage.

Claire excused herself while Soraya moved to the other side to check if new customers were coming in.

Santino suddenly rose from his chair and walked towards the counter. This time, he took out his card to place another order.

"I’d like to have your best pastry and two coffees," he told Claire.

Claire immediately began explaining the available options, pointing out a few of the bakery’s popular pastries. Santino listened, but before she could finish, he glanced towards Soraya, who was still busy with her work.

"Ask my wife to join me. She hasn’t eaten anything despite working for so long," he said.

Claire followed his gaze and smiled when she understood what he was trying to do. She leaned closer to him and whispered, "Then take her out for lunch yourself. Don’t worry, I’ll help you."

She gave him a playful wink before returning his card. Santino’s lips curved into a faint smile as he thanked her.

"Soraya, you should leave now. I’ll close the bakery in an hour," Claire announced.

"What? Why?" Soraya asked, looking at her in confusion.

"Because it’s Thursday, and I usually close early on Thursdays," Claire explained casually.

Soraya removed her apron and hung it in its usual place. "I wanted to have dinner with you, though. I can wait until you finish."

"Oh, I already have dinner plans with someone," Claire replied promptly, making up an excuse. "I have a blind date."

"Oh." Soraya looked slightly disappointed but quickly smiled at her friend. "Then enjoy your date. I hope it goes well."

"We can have dinner together tomorrow instead," Claire assured her. "Besides, you’ve worked hard today, so I want to pay you for your work."

"Wait, this early?" Soraya asked in surprise. "But I told you that—"

"Girl, we agreed that I would pay you," Claire interrupted before she could finish. "Now, just wait here. I’ll be back in a moment."

With that, Claire headed towards her office.

Soraya shook her head at her friend’s sudden insistence and turned around, intending to return to the counter. However, she paused when she noticed that Santino was no longer sitting at his table.

"Where did he go?" she murmured in confusion. Shaking her head, Soraya walked out of the bakery, hoping Santino was still there.