e café door. The stranger outside didn't wait for an

l seated at the

ent in the cold. His face was sharp, and gaunt, with eyes that flickered between desperation and

shoulders. "You s

the café before settling

rms. "There's noth

bilities. Whoever this man was, he wasn't a stranger to Lena. And if

at Alexander for the first time. Hi

essed together

s chuckle. "Didn't know cu

down deliberately. "Ma

passed between them-an unspoken assessment of who held the upper hand. The air in the room thickened,

son isn't here if that's

he boy who had broken the dishes the night before.

xpression darken

herself directly between the man a

igerator in the background seemed unnaturally l

this before-men whose tempers could shift in a bli

ing the man's attention. "Seems like Lena do

"And maybe you should

mething that wasn't quite a s

re he could respond, Lena stepped b

stranger. "You've

oned for him to follow her toward the kitchen. As she passed Alexander, her fingers briefly b

as un

ure she was safe. But he also knew that if he pushed too h

onds dr

m of the café. Alexander kept his eyes on the kitchen door, his finger

e voices

etched on f

nder

er stormed past him, his face tight with barely contained anger. He didn't

doorway, her shoulders tense. Her expression was unreadable

en

slow breath.

tep toward her. "

a dishrag and started wiping down the counter with

d his name to push him aw

way he looked at

s tightening around the

ke that answer. "Th

scaped her. "You th

re with bad intentions, and you're

ng to face him fully. "You don't know me, Al

refully constructed walls. There was someth

to know wh

nd ran a hand through her hair. "Look... I a

w tensed. "And

defiant sparking in her ey

een them. A heavy

making sure things fell into place the way he wante

ed him more than

treet, pulling out a phone. His fingers hovered o

once before it

ther end, low an

s still not talking. And

Then, "

e café. "A guy. Expensive

silence. Then, finally,

And find out

ne wen

last time at the warm glow of the café's