For some reason, I could not fall asleep that night. At some point, I noticed my bedroom door slightly ajar and a faint shadow stretched across the floor, illuminated by the weak moonlight.

I immediately broke into a cold sweat, and my blanket clung to me uncomfortably. I stayed perfectly still, straining my ears to catch any sounds.

There were faint, intermittent noises, and I wondered if I had forgotten to close the window. However, just as I was about to peek out, a face suddenly appeared before me.

I screamed, kicking my legs wildly, only for a hand to clamp firmly over my mouth. My eyes widened in terror until I recognized the person standing before me—Tiffany.

With a cold tone, she asked, "Dakota, you've been helping Mom in the shop all these years. Aren't you at least a little curious about how these éclairs are made?"

She added, "Why don't we swipe a few and let someone else figure it out? We could even make some money!"

Of course, I was curious. I had tried to find out before, especially since Mom's éclairs were the most expensive in the area. Rumor had it they cost more than some designer handbags.

I had watched her make the éclairs countless times, and there was nothing unusual about their size or shape. Besides, I had never actually tasted one myself, so I could not say what made them so special.

Maybe they were just better than the mass-produced ones sold at grocery stores.

Seeing me hesitate, Tiffany leaned in closer, speaking with a mysterious air. "Also, why did Mom buy that huge freezer for the kitchen this year, yet she still insists on storing the éclairs in the underground cellar?"

I stared at her blankly. I had wondered the same thing, but Mom always brushed me off with vague excuses.

Tiffany grabbed my arm, trying to pull me out of bed. "Come on! Let's check out the cellar together!"

However, I was exhausted from the day's work and had no interest in sneaking around. If Mom's éclairs were so popular, I figured she must have her reasons.

Frustrated, Tiffany jabbed her finger at me and called me useless before storming off alone. Through the crack in my door, I saw her sneak toward Mom's room, carefully steal the keys, and head to the cellar.

Eventually, I dozed off, the house falling quiet around me. Not long after, a low, muffled sound reached my ears. At first, I thought I was imagining it, but then I heard it again—soft and breathy, unmistakably Tiffany's voice.

I froze and thought, "Wait... Isn't she in the cellar checking on the éclairs?"

As a woman, I knew exactly what that sound meant, and it sent shivers down my spine. My curiosity got the better of me, and I quietly made my way to the cellar.

On the way, my mind kept flashing back to the women who came to buy Mom's éclairs.

"Oh my, this éclair is richer and more intoxicating than my man's scent after a long night!"

"They say a man can be a woman's remedy, but with these éclairs, I'll be glowing and satisfied in ways no man could ever manage!"

Every woman who got their hands on one of Mom's éclairs acted like they had found some kind of magical elixir.

Even wealthy women, their crimson lips painted to perfection, would show up at Mom's shop. Behind them trailed exhausted young men, clearly drained of every ounce of energy.

One of those women, cradling her éclair like a treasure, purred, "You can just tell these éclairs are made from the finest ingredients. No amount of money could recreate something this exquisite!"

I could not help but shiver as an uneasy chill crept up my spine. By the time I snapped out of it, I realized I was already near the basement's cellar. The air grew colder with every step, and my bare feet against the freezing floor made me wince.

As I approached the door, Tiffany's moans became much clearer. In the emptiness of the hallway, her sounds echoed, creating a strange heat in the pit of my stomach despite the biting cold. Suddenly, the noises stopped, as if she sensed my presence.

I froze in place, my heart pounding. Then, her voice sounded strained yet firm as she shouted, "Don't come in… Ah! Just a little while more!"

After that, her moaning continued. The flickering lights above cast unsettling shadows on the walls, and my uneasiness grew.

My voice cracked as I said, "Tiffany, come out! If Mom finds out, you'll be in serious trouble!"

"Just wait! Three minutes, I promise—I'll be right out!" she shouted, her tone strained yet filled with urgency.

Sweat started to bead on my forehead as I hesitated outside the door, unsure what to do. I wondered what could possibly be happening inside. Apart from the éclairs that Mom kept so tightly guarded in the cellar, I could not think of anything else she could store there.

While I could not make sense of it, one thing was clear—Tiffany was doing this for money. Our grandparents used to adore her, always slipping her extra gifts and money during the holidays.

With her sweet talk and beauty, she had everyone wrapped around her finger, including her boyfriend, Sean. However, ever since she started drifting away from the family, she convinced herself that Mom had some grudge against her.

The lure of money must have driven her to this. She wanted to steal the éclairs, figure out Mom's secret recipe, and sell it for her own gain.

I took a deep breath, slowly turned the doorknob, and stepped into the dimly lit cellar. The air was icy, and it felt like I had entered another world. My eyes strained in the darkness until I finally spotted Tiffany in the corner, her arms wrapped around something, her body moving in an odd rhythm.

"Is she holding… an éclair?" I muttered to myself.

Her soft moans turned into labored breaths, each one ending in a faint, trembling note. I stared, wide-eyed, noticing as her neck flushed a deep, almost unnatural red. It looked as if her skin was burning despite the cold surrounding us.

Just as I was about to step forward, a hand clamped down on my shoulder. I froze in place, too scared to even turn around.

"Didn't I tell you to stay away from this place?" Mom's voice came from behind me, low and threatening.

I turned to see her glaring at me, her expression as cold as the room itself. I had not even heard her come in. Memories of her punishments from before flashed through my mind, and my legs trembled uncontrollably.

Instead of scolding me or barging into the cellar, Mom gave me a strange look and asked, "Do you want to learn how to make éclairs someday?"

She added, "You're more disciplined than Tiffany. One day, this shop will be yours."

Her unexpected words left me stunned. In my confusion, I mumbled a shaky response, "Uh, sure… okay."

Mom stared into my eyes for a moment longer before finally motioning for me to follow her. We stepped into the cellar together, and I could not help but glance around nervously.

Tiffany was in the farthest corner of the room, and her strange noises had not stopped. As I followed Mom, I carefully took in my surroundings. Aside from the usual industrial freezers, the floor had sticky patches of some kind of liquid that clung uncomfortably to my bare feet and gave off a peculiar, metallic smell.

The cold seemed to intensify with every step. As we got closer to Tiffany, her figure became clearer. One step, then another, and finally, we were standing right in front of her.

I gasped as I noticed Tiffany clutching a giant éclair in her arms, and part of it had been bitten. She pressed her mouth into the small opening she had made, twisting and turning her head as if the éclair were alive.

The way she clung to it and moved—it looked disturbingly intimate, like she was locked in a passionate kiss with a lover.

The room was freezing, but Tiffany's entire body was flushed red, and her neck veined with tension. She looked almost feverish, lost in some bizarre trance of desire.

Mom barely spared her a glance, brushing past her with a calm indifference that left me even more unsettled. Mom explained casually, "These éclairs are freshly made, and they aren't ready to be sold yet. They need to stay here for a while."

She did not wait for me to respond and kept moving deeper into the cellar. I thought Mom was walking further into the darkness because she could not see properly, but I was wrong. She stopped in front of a section of the wall, seemingly at random.

Then, she placed her hand on a small, barely noticeable indentation and pressed down lightly. The wall trembled violently, and I instinctively stepped back.

Before my eyes, the wall split open down the middle, revealing a hidden space. I followed Mom's gaze into the newly opened room, my heart racing. What I saw inside would stay with me forever.