The next morning dawned grey and overcast, mirroring the weight pressing on Lilith's chest. She had barely slept. The stranger's words from the day before replayed in her mind like a broken record: "Victor Sterling sends his regards." The memory made her stomach churn.
She opened the café despite the knot of dread in her gut. She needed something to anchor her, and The Reading Nook had always been that. Normalcy. Routine. People. But even with the comforting clink of cups and the rich smell of espresso in the air, she couldn't shake the feeling that eyes were on her.
Around noon, the door chimed again.
Lilith didn't even glance up at first. Just another customer, she told herself, fingers steady on the register. But when the scent of expensive cologne wafted across the counter, she looked up and froze.
Arnold Blaze.
Her heart stuttered. He looked striking as always—tailored navy coat, a dark sweater beneath, and a presence that swallowed the space between them. But it wasn't just the sight of him that made her palms sweat. It was the impossible question: how did he know where to find her?
He approached the counter with calm precision, eyes sweeping over her face.
"Black coffee," he said, tone casual. Then his gaze softened, just slightly. "Hi, Lilith."
Lilith blinked. "Arnold. Hi. I... didn't expect to see you here."
His lip twitched, almost a smile. "I was in the area. Figured I'd try my luck."
She nodded slowly, masking her suspicion. "Right. Of course."
As she turned to pour his drink, her mind raced. She had never told him about the café. Never even mentioned the name. It wasn't on her social media, not under her real name anyway. She'd been careful. So how did he find her?
She handed him the cup, scrawled with his name in rushed handwriting, and forced a smile. "On the house."
"Thank you." He took the cup but made no move to leave. "This place suits you," he added, glancing around. "It feels... honest."
Lilith bit her lip. "I try."
There was a pause, thick and uncertain. She hated that she wanted to ask him how he found her but couldn't. Not yet. Not without giving away how hard she'd tried to disappear.
Arnold took a slow sip. "I was hoping we could talk. Somewhere quiet. Just a few minutes."
Lilith hesitated. She glanced at the line beginning to form behind him, then back at his calm, unreadable expression.
"I have a break in fifteen minutes," she said finally. "You can wait."
He nodded once. "I'll take that table by the window."
As he moved away, Lilith's hands tightened around the counter edge. A hundred thoughts buzzed in her head. This wasn't coincidence. Not from someone like Arnold Blaze.
And if he could find her...
Maybe Victor had followed the same breadcrumbs. Maybe Lilith had left more of herself behind online than she thought—old reviews under her real name, a forgotten post with a location tag, a linked business license in a public directory. All it would take was one digital thread, and someone determined enough could unravel everything.
Her stomach turned.
Fifteen minutes later, she brought him a refill and slid into the seat across from him. The corner was quiet, shielded from the rest of the café.
Arnold leaned forward. "Before I say anything else, I want to apologize for surprising you. I didn't mean to intrude."
Lilith stared at him, arms folded. "How did you find me?"
Arnold didn't flinch. "I had someone look into you."
She tensed.
"I wasn't trying to invade your privacy," he continued. "After we ran into each other at the nightclub... I wanted to know more. Not just out of curiosity. Something about you seemed off. Like you were carrying too much weight for one person."
Lilith's jaw clenched. "And so you ran a background check?"
"No. Not exactly. I searched for any public traces tied to your name. Eventually, your café came up via an old business registry. You must've used your full legal name when you applied for the small business license."
Lilith's face paled.
He added softly, "I also found a review from three years ago, under a different name, but your writing style was similar. I pieced it together."
She looked away, silent.
"I wasn't trying to trap you, Lilith. I just wanted to see if this version of you is real."
Lilith exhaled slowly. "You shouldn't be here."
"Maybe not. But I am."
Their eyes locked.
And for the first time in days, Lilith felt something besides fear: confusion, vulnerability and a strange, dangerous flicker of hope.