Ophelia's morning began like clockwork, a dance of quiet, calculated movements that only she could appreciate. The sun had barely begun to rise, casting a soft golden light through the bakery’s front windows. The scent of fresh dough and sugar filled the air as she moved through the space with a precision that bordered on reverence. She always started with the bread; it was the heart of the shop, the thing that people came for—its soft, airy texture, its perfect golden crust.

Her real work began once the bread was out of the oven. Ophelia made her way to the back of the kitchen, her boots clicking softly against the cool tile. The fridge hummed quietly in the corner, and she opened it to reveal the tray she'd prepared the night before. The meat, wrapped carefully in butcher paper, was a prized ingredient, harvested just so, its texture perfect for the pies she was preparing. She ran her fingers over the smooth surface of the meat, her pulse quickening slightly, but she hid it behind the calm exterior of a professional baker.

The gentle chime of the bakery door broke the peaceful silence of the early morning, signalling the arrival of someone new. Ophelia’s gaze flicked up from the counter just in time to see a stranger step inside. A soft smile curled at her lips, but there was something deeper in her eyes—an intensity that no casual customer could ever notice. There was a certain kind of radiance about this newcomer, an effortless charm that made Ophelia’s pulse quicken. Her heart fluttered with that familiar, obsessive sensation. She had built this bakery with painstaking care, crafting each detail to perfection, and yet... it was never truly complete until someone like this walked through that door.