2025-07-10 10:16:31The bell above the café door jingled as Amber stepped in, keys jingling in one hand, her tote bag in the other. The place was quiet, save for the distant hum of the refrigerator.
She made her way to the back room to drop her bag, already mentally listing everything she had to clean before the 7 a.m. crowd poured in.
She pushed the door open… then froze.
“Xavier?”
There he was, slumped over their boss’s desk, still in the same navy-blue shirt he’d worn in the video that is now circulating the Internet. His head was resting on his arms, the room dim and musty.
Amber frowned, glanced at her wristwatch. “Xav… it’s 6:04 in the morning. What the hell?”
She stepped closer and tapped him, once, twice.
He jerked up, blinking hard, looking like he’d just been dropped out of a bad dream.
“Jesus,” he muttered, rubbing his eyes.
“Did you… did you sleep here?”
He said nothing.
“I saw the video.” Her voice was firmer now. “Xavier, what were you thinking about going live on TikTok? The entire world watched you fall apart in real time.”
He exhaled. “I didn’t plan for it to go that way. I just… I thought…”
He swallowed hard. “I thought it was gonna be a big moment. I planned it. I cooked. I set it all up. I just… I wanted to ask her to be my wife. Start a family the proper way.”
Amber sat across from him, her voice softer now. “I cannot imagine what you are going through right now. But Xavier… damn. I thought Lisa loved you. I really did.”
He nodded, eyes glassy.
“So did I.”
“And Emerald?”
His face dropped as the events from last night came crawling back
“She’s still mine. I don’t care what Lisa says. I held her before she even opened her eyes. That’s my little girl.”
Amber reached over and squeezed his arm. “You need to go home. Shower. Eat. Sleep. I’ll cover for you. Just go sort yourself out.”
Xavier shook his head. “I can’t. I can’t face Lisa now. If I go home now… I’ll break completely. I need to stay here. I need the noise.”
“You’re lucky it was me who opened up. If Old Mike found you here, you’d be out of a job too in the blink of an eye.”
He gave a dry chuckle. “Yeah. That would complete the tragedy.”
Amber stood. “We’ve got coffee to make before the early crowd shows up. Pull yourself together, man.”
After splashing cold water on his face and changing into a clean shirt he kept at work, Xavier joined her behind the counter. Amber kept casting worried glances his way.
Just then...
A loud crash echoed from across the café.
“Why can’t anyone get my order right!? Same mistake every time I come here!”
Heads turned. A girl at one of the corner tables had slammed her cup down so hard, the liquid spilled onto the saucer. Her two friends exchanged awkward glances, clearly used to this.
Amber and Xavier rushed over.
"Is there a problem, miss?" Amber asked carefully.
The girl pointed accusingly at Xavier. "He took my order." She raised her cup. "I said almond milk latte. Not oat. What is this nonsense?"
Xavier opened his mouth, but she cut him off.
"This is the third time in a row. Do you guys not listen, or are you just dumb?"
Amber stepped in with her professional smile. "We’re really sorry about that, miss. I’ll get that fixed right away."
“No,” the girl shot back, “Let him fix it. He’s the one who took the order, right?”
She folded her arms and glared at Xavier.
“Can’t even get a coffee right. What’s the point of having you behind a counter?”
Xavier just stared, lips tight. The words bounced him off.
“What?” she mocked. “You can’t speak now? Or is the oat milk too heavy on your brain?”
Amber’s jaw tightened. “Miss, please…”
Xavier cleared his throat. "I–I’m sorry. But I’m pretty sure you said "oat”. He reached out to grab the cup. “I'll fix it right now.”
“Wait a minute…”
One of the girl's friends squinted at Xavier, pulling out her phone.
“Oh my God,” she whispered. “I knew I’d seen that face before…”
Xavier winced.
“No, you’re mistaking me for…”
“No way! Look at his face!” She whipped out her phone and shoved it at her friends.
“That’s him! The simp who got dumped with candles and roses! The failed proposal guy from TikTok whose live stream proposal is currently trending!”
Everyone turned.
The rude girl turned slowly, eyes widening as she looked at Xavier again. “No freaking way. You’re that guy?”
She burst out laughing.
“Damn. Not only can’t you make coffee, you can’t even keep a girl. That’s embarrassing.”
Customers nearby were watching now. All their phones were out, cameras rolling trying to capture the moment.
“How does it feel, bro?” one man called out from a table. “Eight years down the drain. Must suck to be a walking meme.”
Amber stepped forward. “That’s enough! You’re invading his privacy. This isn’t a show”
“But it’s entertainment,” someone else laughed. “We’re just fans of his failed love story.”
Xavier stared at them all, humiliation burning his skin.
Hands were shaking and his jaw clenched.
And then…
The mean girl leaned in close, too close, eyes dancing with cruelty.
“You’re trending all over again, coffee boy.”
“Smile for the camera.”
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Godfather's debt
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The lounge buzzed softly with the low hum of conversations, the clink of glasses, and faint jazz spilling from hidden speakers. Xavier sat in his usual corner, a glass of whiskey cradled in his hand as he scrolled lazily through his phone. His presence alone commanded attention.The scrape of a chair across from him broke his thoughts. Xavier raised his eyes, unhurried, to find Antonio sliding into the seat opposite him, a smug smile stretching across his face. “Well, look who we have here,” Xavier muttered, his lips curling into something between amusement and irritation. “To what do I owe this… intrusion?”Antonio leaned forward, resting both elbows on the table like he owned the place. “I just thought it was time we had a little man-to-man chat,” he said coolly. “Tell me, Xavier… how does it feel? Sitting on another man’s throne? Wearing a crown that doesn’t belong to you?”Xavier chuckled, low and rich, as if Antonio had just told the funniest joke of the evening. He swirled the
Maybe There's Still Hope
Amber didn’t wait for an invitation the moment she stepped out of the car, she walked past the fountain, through the grand front doors, and into the familiar corridors of her father’s estate. Everything was exactly as she remembered.When she pushed open the heavy doors, he was sitting behind the same massive desk, papers scattered before him, glasses perched low on his nose. He didn’t even flinch when she entered. His eyes lifted, sharp as ever, but there was no surprise. “So,” he said flatly, “you’ve finally decided to grace us with your face.”Amber crossed her arms. “Not even a hello, Father?”He leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest. “You know me too well, I don't do pretends. What are you doing here? And more importantly, how did you get past the guards?”Amber let out a dry laugh. “What kind of question is that, Father?This is my house, my home. What do you mean by "how did I enter? Don't I have rights to my home, anymore?”His expression hardened. “Don’
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