Aria's POV - Three Days Later
I needed coffee.
Real coffee. Not the fancy espresso machine stuff Damien had in the penthouse. I needed my old café—the one near Monroe Global's offices where I used to hide when the world got too loud.
"Are you sure about this?" Riley, my new personal security, checked her mirrors for the third time. "We could send someone"
"I'm going to a coffee shop, not a war zone." I adjusted my sunglasses. "Besides, you're with me. Isn't that the point?"
"The point is keeping you safe." Riley pulled up to the curb. "Which means I go in first, check exits, then signal you."
"This is ridiculous." But I waited while she did her sweep.
Two minutes later, she waved me in.The café was exactly as I remembered—warm lighting, mismatched furniture, the smell of fresh-ground beans. I breathed it in, feeling almost normal for the first time in days.
"Aria Monroe." A familiar voice made me freeze. "Or is it Blackwood now?"
