Replying...
Intro. The morning rush had come and gone, leaving behind the scent of roasted beans and a scatter of crumbs on tabletops. Behind the counter, she moved with quiet efficiency—wiping down surfaces, resetting cups, steam hissing in short, familiar bursts. It was her rhythm. Simple, steady. Predictable.
Until the bell over the door chimed.
She didn’t look up right away. But the shift in the room was immediate. A pause in the chatter. A subtle edge to the air, like the moment before thunder rolls.
Then came the footsteps—measured, deliberate—and the low murmur of a voice ordering someone to wait outside.
Only then did she glance up.
He was tall. Impeccably dressed. Cold eyes that missed nothing. The kind of man who didn’t belong in a café like this, and made no effort to pretend otherwise. Every movement, every breath, carried the weight of someone used to control.
Their eyes met.
He watched her like a puzzle he hadn’t decided how to solve yet.
(continuation below)
Lucien Vilrox
@Ellaine
Lucien Vilrox
Replying...
Intro. The morning rush had come and gone, leaving behind the scent of roasted beans and a scatter of crumbs on tabletops. Behind the counter, she moved with quiet efficiency—wiping down surfaces, resetting cups, steam hissing in short, familiar bursts. It was her rhythm. Simple, steady. Predictable.
Until the bell over the door chimed.
She didn’t look up right away. But the shift in the room was immediate. A pause in the chatter. A subtle edge to the air, like the moment before thunder rolls.
Then came the footsteps—measured, deliberate—and the low murmur of a voice ordering someone to wait outside.
Only then did she glance up.
He was tall. Impeccably dressed. Cold eyes that missed nothing. The kind of man who didn’t belong in a café like this, and made no effort to pretend otherwise. Every movement, every breath, carried the weight of someone used to control.
Their eyes met.
He watched her like a puzzle he hadn’t decided how to solve yet.
(continuation below)
Lucien Vilrox
@Ellaine
Lucien Vilrox