Sheira shook her head. "What reason would I have to trap you? Ma'am Sheira herself knows you and trusts Mr. Reynaldo to keep his wife safe..."
"That's enough!" The man in the suit interrupted, breaking up the conversation between Sheira and a suspicious man named James. "I often come across people like you. I'm here to buy cakes, so you need to stop with your unfounded accusations, got it?"
Sheira frowned. "Do you think I'm someone who creates chaos? This is unacceptable."
"Sheira!" Anna interjected, having closely observed the exchange between her and the customers. She felt concerned and pulled Sheira aside to distance her from the two men.
"Sheira, please don't escalate this any further. They're new customers, and since you don't work here anymore, this shop has been quite empty. Their presence is refreshing for me, so please don't complicate my job, or I could face problems," Anna pleaded.
Sheira exhaled sharply, feeling for her best friend. "Fine," she relented.
"I'm sorry; I realize now that I was mistaken," Sheira finally chose to apologize, even though she was confident in her assessment. But for the sake of Anna's work, she felt compelled to do it. The two men shrugged her off and paid her no more attention. Sheira clenched her fists, holding back her emotions. If it weren't for Anna, she wouldn't have backed down or let herself be seen as a liar. Now, she could only watch as they selected a cake.
"What about this one?"
"Perfect, sir. I'm sure they'll love it."
"I'd like this cake, but can you decorate it with a rose?" the man in the suit asked.
"Of course! Just a moment, please," Anna replied.
"Can you deliver it to this address? I have other matters to attend to," the man provided his address, and Anna confirmed it. After processing the payment, the two men left.
Sheira continued to glare at them, feeling frustrated at being labeled a liar. She wanted to confront them but was worried about Anna's job. Anna noticed Sheira's dissatisfaction with the earlier exchange.
"Sheira, I'm really sorry."
Sheira smiled softly. "It's okay, Anna. Maybe I misjudged the situation."
"Oh, by the way, which cake should be delivered?" Sheira glanced at the paper Anna held. "The address is along my way home; let me deliver it."
"Are you sure that's alright?" Anna asked.
"Of course, just hurry up so I can take it."
Without delay, Anna prepared the cake order, including one for herself as well.
"Thank you so much, Sheira, for your help," Anna said with a sweet smile.
"Anytime! And thanks for the cake."
Sheira handed Anna a small paper bag. After double-checking that everything was secure, she rode her motorcycle to the address provided. Upon arriving, Sheira gazed at the grand, luxurious house. She stopped at the security post to state her purpose.
"Please go inside. I wouldn't dare hold onto the cake for Mr. Arsen Moonstone; let me deliver it."
For a moment, Sheira stood in disbelief. "Arsen Moonstone?"
"Yes, you mentioned Mr. Arsen Moonstone," the guard confirmed.
"Right. This is his residence, and the cake you hold is a special tofu cake for Ma'am Bella, his beloved. I wouldn't want to risk damaging it."
Never did Sheira expect to cross paths with Arsen in such an uncomfortable way, especially after arguing with James in front of him while being mistaken for a liar.
"Mr. Arsen is Viren's boss, making him my boss too!" Sheira thought.
"Excuse me, sir, your cake has arrived!"
Arsen, having just finished a shower, heard the call and responded, "Alright, just have a seat for now."
"Sure, sir!"
Arsen quickly changed into casual clothes, dried his hair, and styled it before heading downstairs. From a distance, he spotted Sheira.
"I had no idea you worked in a cake shop," Arsen remarked as he approached and took a seat across from her.
"I'm not technically working, sir; I'm just helping a friend," Sheira replied politely but stiffly, remembering who she was dealing with – the boss who had provided a hefty down payment of 300 million.
"May I check the cake?" Arsen asked, reaching out for it.
"Certainly," Sheira handed it over.
"This is great! It matches what I wanted. Thank you," Arsen said, clearly pleased.
"Don't worry; this cake shop is the finest in the city, so you can count on being satisfied with your order," Sheira assured him.
Arsen chuckled at her formal tone. "What happened? You were so bold in the shop, but now you seem different."
Sheira sighed, struggling to explain herself. "You see, sir, I owe you an apology. But I swear, the man with you is familiar with Ma'am Bella. They seemed close, even holding hands. Ma'am Bella introduced James to me herself."
Arsen's interest piqued at Sheira's words. He shifted in his seat. "James is someone I trust completely; he works for me. Why should I believe you?"
"I'm not lying! Ma'am Bella directly said James was trustworthy for Mr. Rey's wife."
Arsen sighed wearily. "Honestly, who are you? I promise I won't report you to your boss if you're truthful now."
"I'm not deceiving you! I didn't even know you were Mr. Arsen Moonstone until I arrived at your house and overheard it from the guard. I'm sorry I didn't recognize you earlier."
"No worries; I was surprised to hear that."
"So, do you believe me now?" Sheira asked, her gaze steady on Arsen.
Arsen thought for a moment. He knew that James had never met Bella. Only James was aware of her, while Bella had never approached him. Now that he realized the woman before him claimed to be on his side, he began to have doubts. Could she be trusted?
"I can't come to a conclusion now; without proof, I must investigate further. If what you're saying turns out to be true, I will indeed be very disappointed in James."
Sheira nodded. "Understood. I'll take my leave now." She opted to exit Arsen's residence immediately.