Scarlett's POV ) The morning starts wrong . I know it the moment I see Mrs. Chen standing outside my bakery at seven - thirty , holding a bag of my honey wheat bread like it's contaminated waste . " I want my money back ," she says the second I unlock the door . " This bread made my whole family sick . " My stomach drops . " I'm sorry , what ? " " Food poisoning . All night long . " She shoves the bag at me . " My grandson couldn't even keep water down . " Before I can respond , Mr. Rodriguez appears behind her , waving a receipt . " Me too . That cinnamon roll from yesterday ? Worst stomach bug I've had in years . " Then Mrs. Patterson . Then the young mother who bought cupcakes for her daughter's playdate . Then five more customers , all demanding refunds , all claiming my food made them violently ill . " I don't understand , " I stammer , staring at the growing crowd outside my shop . " Nobody got sick yesterday . Or the day before . I use the same recipes , the same suppliers- " " Maybe you need better suppliers ," Mrs. Chen snaps . " Or better hygiene standards . " My hands shake as I unlock the register , processing refund after refund while more angry customers gather outside . This can't be happening . I'm careful about everything- temperatures , storage , expiration dates . I've never had a single complaint in six months of operation . " There's a post going around online , " the young mother says , showing me her phone . " About how this place is unsanitary . " My blood turns to ice as I read the review . A detailed account of someone getting violently ill after eating my bread , complete with warnings about " dangerous conditions " and " health violations . " The post has been shared dozens of times already . " I need to close early today , " I announce , my voice barely steady . " To investigate this properly . " The crowd disperses , but not before several more customers cancel their weekend orders . I watch my regular customers walk away shaking their heads , and my heart shatters a little more with each departure .. 177 < Chapter 21 More Rewards > By nine o'clock , I'm alone in my empty bakery , staring at the social media post that's destroying everything I've worked for . The account that posted it is clearly fake - no profile picture , created just yesterday . But the damage is spreading faster than I can track . That's when I see the official van pulling up outside . Health Department . Three people in suits climb out , carrying clipboards and wearing expressions that could freeze hell . The lead inspector , a stern woman with silver hair , flashes her badge at me through the glass door . " Ma'am , we need you to open up . We have reports of food poisoning linked to this establishment ." My hands fumble with the lock . " Of course . But I should tell you , I've never had any complaints before today- " " We'll determine that , " she cuts me off , already pushing past me into the shop . " I'm Inspector Martinez . These are my colleagues , Dr. Kim and Mr. Thompson . We'll need access to your kitchen , storage areas , and all food preparation surfaces . " " Absolutely . I want to get to the bottom of this too . " I lead them toward the back , my mind racing . " I use only the freshest ingredients , follow all safety protocols = " " Ma'am , please don't interfere with our investigation ," Dr. Kim says coldly , snapping on latex gloves . " We'll ask questions if we need clarification . " They swarm through my kitchen like locusts , swabbing surfaces , taking samples , marking everything with numbered tags . Each movement feels like a violation , like they're dismantling my life piece by piece . " What's the shelf life on this ? " Inspector Martinez holds up a container of flour . " It expires next month . Everything's clearly labeled with purchase and expiration dates . " She makes a note without acknowledging my answer . " Temperature logs ? " Mr. Thompson demands . I show him my meticulous records , but he barely glances at them before moving on to the next violation he's hoping to find . Two hours later , they emerge from my kitchen with sealed evidence bags and grim expressions . 2/7 Chapter 21 More Rewards " We're shutting you down pending investigation results , " Inspector Martinez announces , slapping a bright red closure notice on my front window . " Could be a week , could be a month . " " A month ? " My voice cracks . " But I have orders , regular customers- " " Should have thought of that before you poisoned half the neighborhood ," Dr. Kim mutters . " I didn't poison anyone ! " The words explode out of me . " I've been baking for six months without a single problem ! " " The evidence suggests otherwise , " Inspector Martinez says , not even looking at me as she packs up her clipboard . " Don't remove that notice . Don't attempt to operate . We'll be in touch . " They leave me standing in my empty shop , staring at the red notice that might as well be a death sentence . Sunrise Bakes - CLOSED FOR HEALTH VIOLATIONS . I call Chloe with shaking fingers . " They shut me down ," I whisper when she answers . " What ? Who shut you down ? " " Health department . Someone posted online that my bread made them sick . Multiple people are claiming food poisoning . " My voice breaks . " Chloe , I've never had a single complaint . Something's wrong . " " I'm coming over . " Twenty minutes later , Chloe storms into the bakery like an avenging angel , her lawyer instincts already in full gear . " Show me the post , " she demands , settling beside me at one of the small tables . I pull up the review on my phone , watching her face darken as she reads . " This is bullshit , " she says flatly . " Look at this account . Created yesterday , no followers , no other reviews . This is clearly fake . " " But people are getting sick , Chloe . " " Or so they claim ." She screenshots the post , her fingers flying across her phone . " I'm forwarding this to my tech guy . If this is coordinated , he'll find the connection . " " What if it's not fake ? What if I really did make people sick ? " The thought makes me nauseous . " What if I missed something , contaminated something- " 3/7 : < Chapter 21 More Rewards " Stop . " Chloe grabs my hands . " You're the most careful person I know . You check expiration dates twice , sanitize everything , keep detailed records . This isn't on you . " " Then who ? " " That's what we're going to find out . " The front door chimes , and Lily runs in from school , her backpack bouncing against her small frame . She stops short when she sees our serious expressions . " Mama ? Why do you look sad ? " I force a smile , not wanting to worry her . " Just some grown - up problems , sweetheart . Nothing for you to worry about . " But Lily's too smart for her own good . She looks around the empty bakery , noting the lack of customers , the closed sign I had to put up . " Is the bakery sick ? " she asks quietly . " Something like that . " I pull her onto my lap , breathing in her strawberry shampoo scent . " But we'll figure it out . " " Remember when I got sick last month and you made me soup and read me stories until I felt better ? " Lily looks up at me with those wise brown eyes . " Maybe the bakery just needs soup and stories too . " Despite everything , I smile . " Maybe it does . " " I can help . I make very good pretend soup . " She hops down and pretends to stir an invisible pot . " There . All better ! " If only it were that simple . My phone rings , Dorian's name flashing on the screen . My heart lurches . He must have heard about the closure by now . " Hello ? " " Scarlett ? I just drove past the bakery . What's going on ? " The concern in his voice makes my chest tight . " There were some complaints about food poisoning . The health department shut us down for investigation . " " Food poisoning ? That's impossible . I eat there almost daily , and the quality is impeccable . " " Tell that to the twelve customers who demanded refunds this morning . " I can't keep the 4/7 < Chapter 21 bitterness out of my voice . " This doesn't make sense . When did the complaints start ? " More Rewards > " This morning . All at once . Like they coordinated it . " I pause , the thought hitting me for the first time . " Actually , that's exactly what it was like . Coordinated . " " Have you seen the social media posts ? " My stomach sinks . " Posts? Plural ? " " There are at least six different accounts posting similar stories . All claiming food poisoning from your bakery , all using almost identical language . " I close my eyes , the pieces starting to fall into place . " Someone set me up . " " That's what I'm thinking . Scarlett , I deal with corporate sabotage regularly . This has all the hallmarks of a coordinated attack . " " But who would do this ? And why ? " " That's what we need to find out . Can you forward me the posts ? I have people who can trace the source accounts , find IP addresses . " " You'd do that for me ? " " Of course ." His voice is warm , reassuring . " I also have connections at the health department . Friends who can expedite the investigation , make sure you get results quickly instead of being tied up for weeks . " Relief floods through me so intensely I have to sit down . " Dorian , I ... thank you . I don't know how to repay you . " " You don't need to repay me . I'm not doing this as a favor , Scarlett . I'm doing this because I believe in you . Because what you've built here matters . " Tears blur my vision . When was the last time someone believed in me like this ? When was the last time someone fought for me instead of expecting me to handle everything alone ? " The health inspectors were awful , " I admit . " They treated me like I was already guilty . Like they'd made up their minds before they even walked in . " " Unfortunately , that's how these things often work . Guilty until proven innocent . But with the right connections , we can speed up the process and get you reopened as soon as possible . " " What if the tests show something wrong ? What if I really did make people sick ? " 5/7 < Chapter 21 More Rewards > " Then we'll deal with that when it happens . But Scarlett , I've been eating your pastries for weeks . If there was a contamination issue , it would have shown up before now . " His confidence in me is staggering . I've been doubting myself all morning , wondering if I missed something , if I'm not as careful as I thought . But Dorian's certainty steadies me . " Send me everything , " he continues . " Screenshots of the posts , contact information for the health inspectors , any documentation you have . I'll make some calls tonight . " " Thank you , " I whisper . " I don't know what I did to deserve your help . " " You don't have to deserve kindness , Scarlett . Sometimes people help because it's the right thing to do . " After we hang up , I forward him all the social media posts , watching as more negative reviews appear in real time . Someone is working very hard to destroy my reputation . " Mama , who was that ? " Lily asks , appearing at my elbow . " A friend . He's going to help us figure out what happened . " " Good . I like him . He makes you smile . " She's right . Even in the middle of this nightmare , Dorian's voice made me feel less alone . " Why don't you go color while I finish up here ? " I suggest , not wanting her to overhear any more adult conversations . " Okay . But Mama ? The bakery isn't really sick , is it ? It's just pretend sick , like when I fake a cough to stay home from school ? " Her innocent question hits too close to home . " Something like that , sweetheart . " As she settles at a corner table with her coloring books , I start screenshotting every negative post I can find . The pattern becomes clearer with each one - too similar , too coordinated , too perfectly timed . Someone wanted to destroy my bakery . The question is who , Violet Moon # Vote # !