CHAPTER SEVENTY ONE - The Calm Before the Storm

The morning sun filtered through the windows of Sweet Beginnings, casting a warm glow over the empty tables. Ella sat at her desk, her brow furrowed as she pored over the latest financial reports. The numbers were improving since the festival, but they were far from out of the woods. The legal fees from fighting Dominic's lawsuit were taking a toll, and now... A sharp knock on her office door jolted her from her thoughts. Lucas stood in the doorway, his face grim, holding a newspaper. "Have you seen this?" he asked, his voice tight with anger. Ella shook her head, reaching for the paper. As she scanned the headline, her heart sank. "Montgomery Empire Built on Shaky Ground: Insider Reveals Financial Mismanagement." "It's Dominic," Lucas growled, pacing the small office. "He's gone to the press with a bunch of lies and half-truths." Ella read further, her disbelief growing with each paragraph. Allegations of cooked books, unethical business practices, even hints of embezzlement - it