the cafe smalled of rostead coffee beans and warm vanilla . liya wiped her hand on her apron and leaned against the counter , watching her best friend fidget with her phone .
emaila ross , elegant yet restless ,had agreed to meet her month apart .but today ,emilia looked unusually anxious , as if every second dragged heavier than the last .
''you're staring at the door like someone important is about to walk in ,''liya teased , sliding a cappuccino across the table .
emila tried to smile , but her fingers trembled slightly .''maybe someone is .''
the bell above the cafe door chimed , and for a moment , time seemed to still .
he walking in.
Alex carter.
Tall, confident , and devastatingly handsome in his casual white shirt and dark trousers . his charm had always lit up a room , but today his expression carried a weight - shadows of someone who had seen too much , felt too much .
emila's breath caught . liya , sensing the tension , quietly stepped back , leaving the two facing each other after years apart .
Emilia ,'' Alex said slowly , as though tasting the name after a long time . she force her lips to curve .''hello , Alex
the word felt brittle ,like porcelain ready to crack .many busied herself at another table but kept careful eye on her friend . she knew fragment of the story ; emilia and Alex had been inseparable once , but sometime had torn apart , emilia never explained , only called it '' a mistake i can't undo .''
now , that mistake stood right in front of her . Alex sat down ,his gaze unwavering . ''it 's been ...what , three years
''Almost four '', emila corrected softly . silence stretched . the clatter of dishes and chatter of other customers filled the space between them, but for the two of them , it was like no one else existed .
Alex finally leaned back his voice sharper . ''you disappeared . No goodbye , no explanation . just a text saying it was over .''
Emilia lowered her eyes, shame tightening her chest , ''l... l had reasons .''
''reasons . he let out a bitter laugh . '' or excuses ? her hands trembled around the cup . she had wanted to tell him everything - that her family had threatened her, that they wanted her to marry into money , that she had been too afraid to fight . But how could she explain that now without reopening wounds he had spent years stitching closed ?
still , her heart betrayed her silence , aching at the sight of him .
''liya told me this cafe is her safe place ,'' Alex said suddenly , breaking the tension .''l didn't know it would be yours too.''
Emilia 's lips parted .''maybe fate wanted it this way .'' his eyes softened for a fleeting second before he caught himself . fate the word felt dangerous ,like hope creeping in where it didn't belong .
from across the cafe , liya pretended not to notice , but her chest tightened .she had never seen emila look so fragile .
the bell above the door chimed again . a striking woman in a sleek black dress entered her sharp heels clicking against the floor . her eyes immediately found Alex , then flicked to emilia with disdain .
veronica hale
though she was adrian knight's business partner , veronica had once tried to charm Alex as well . seeing him with . seeing him with emilia now reignited her competitive streak . she smirked , sauntering closer . ''well , well ,'' veronica purred .''what a small world .''
Emilia stiffened , her fragile courage faltering under the other woman's sharp gaze . alex's jaw tightened . liya watched carefully ' realizing this was no ordinary reunion - it was the reopening of an unfinished war .