Chapter 1: A Breath Away

Dana’s bakery buzzed with life. The warm air carried the sweet scent of freshly baked bread and sugary pastries, wrapping itself around every customer who stepped inside. High ceilings and dark brick walls gave the place a cozy charm, like stepping into a storybook. Glass cases sparkled under soft lighting, filled with colourful treats that seemed almost too beautiful to eat.

At the far end of the shop, Dana cleared a table, pausing for a moment to watch the steady stream of people pouring in. This was her dream come true—the smiles on customers’ faces, the wide-eyed wonder of kids staring at the donut display, the compliments from regulars. It had taken six years of relentless work, but it was worth it.

“Bye, Miss Dana!” A little girl called out, waving enthusiastically as she skipped out the door with her dad.

Dana waved back, grinning ear to ear. But her smile faded as her gaze drifted toward the corner of the shop. There he was again—the man in the worn leather coat. His black gloves looked out of place in the mild weather, and his dark sunglasses shielded his eyes, though not his intent. He shifted slightly, pushing the glasses down just enough for their eyes to meet.

There was something unsettling about the way he looked at her—sharp, deliberate, as if he were peeling back layers she didn’t even know she had. For a split second, the air between them felt heavy, charged with something unspoken. Then he smirked, slow and deliberate, lifting his coffee cup to his lips like he had all the time in the world.

Dana quickly looked away, her stomach twisting. She’d seen him before—once or twice—but never up close. Never without that same gnawing sense of unease. What was he doing here?

“Dana!” June’s panicked voice snapped her out of her thoughts. One of her employees was waving wildly across the room. “What is it?” Dana asked, rushing over.

June pointed toward the other side of the shop, where a small crowd had gathered. Her heart skipped a beat. Pushing through, she found a man lying on the ground, his face swollen, wheezing loudly, red rashes spreading across his skin. He was struggling to breathe.

Dana dropped to her knees beside him. “Someone call 911!” she yelled, her voice trembling.

Before anyone could react further, Corey—a young man with curly hair and green eyes, who frequented the bakery—rushed outside to his car. Moments later, he returned with what he liked to call his “hospital in a box.” Without hesitation, he knelt beside the man, checking for a pulse. Weak, but there.

The labored breathing and flushed skin confirmed his worst fear: anaphylaxis. His eyes darted to an almost-empty box of cookies on the nearby table. Peanut butter cookies.

“Are those peanut butter?” he asked, glancing at Dana, who stood frozen.

She nodded mutely.

“Grab that bag,” he said, pointing to a chair a few feet away. Dana scrambled to obey, nearly tripping but managing to hand it over. Corey rifled through it quickly, pulling out an EpiPen. The crowd fell silent, watching as he worked with calm precision. He removed the cap, pressed the injector into the man’s thigh, and counted aloud, “One… two… three.”

As he pulled it out, the man’s breathing began to ease. Wheezing slowed, chest rising and falling more steadily. Dana exhaled in relief, her tense shoulders finally relaxing. No one was going to die in her bakery today.

The distant wail of sirens grew louder. Paramedics burst through the doors, taking over seamlessly. Corey stepped back, letting them work. As they loaded the man onto a stretcher, Corey leaned in to speak to one of the paramedics.

“I gave him a 0.3 mg dose of epinephrine about five minutes ago,” he said. “Pretty sure it’s a food allergy. Peanut butter cookies.”

The paramedic nodded. “Got it. Thanks for acting so fast. You probably saved his life.”

Corey gave a brief nod, then turned to find Dana standing nearby, pale but composed. “You’re going to the hospital, right?” she asked, her voice rushed. “Can I… can I come with you? I just want to make sure he’s okay.”

Corey hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah, sure. Hop in.”

They drove to the hospital in silence, the hum of the engine filling the space between them. After a few minutes, Corey broke it. “I’m Corey, by the way. Don’t think we’ve been properly introduced.”

Dana smiled faintly, looking out the window. “I’m Dana.”

That was it. The rest of the ride passed in comfortable quiet.

At the hospital, they waited while doctors stabilized the man. When a doctor finally approached, he reassured them. “It was definitely an anaphylactic reaction. Your quick thinking made all the difference. He’s stable now, but we’ll keep him for observation.”

Dana let out a shaky breath. “Can we see him?”

“He’s asleep,” the doctor said, “but you can look through the door.”

Afterward, they headed back to Corey’s car. In the parking lot, Dana glanced at him. “Do you think he’ll be okay?”

“He should be,” Corey replied as they reached his car.

When they got there, Dana turned to him. “I’ll get going now. Have a good night.”

Corey frowned, confused. “Why?”

“It’s getting late, and…” She trailed off.

“We came together; might as well leave together,” he said gently.

Dana hesitated, then nodded. “Okay.”

Neither spoke during the drive back to the bakery, both comfortable in the quiet. When they arrived, Dana unbuckled her seatbelt. “Thanks for the ride. I really appreciate it.”

She was about to say goodnight when Corey opened his door. She stared at him, eyebrows raised.

He scratched the back of his neck, sheepish. “I never got my cupcakes earlier.”

She laughed softly. “Really?”

“Vanilla,” he said, grinning.

“Vanilla it is,” she replied, unlocking the door.

Inside, the bakery was dim and quiet. As Dana moved behind the counter to box up his order, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the security camera footage flickering oddly on the monitor. And then she saw a shadow move briskly outside the window.

Her blood ran cold.