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.”
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
The One Before The Final Decision
The courtyard of Amber’s estate was no longer just tense — it was vibrating with a dangerous electricity that made even the guards keep their hands hovering near their weapons. The echo of Celeste’s voice still lingered in the air, sharp and acidic, and the look on Amber’s face as she stood at the top of the stone steps was the quiet promise of war.Xavier did not move. He stood planted between both women, jaw locked, eyes scanning the estate’s perimeter like he was calculating a thousand risks at once. He didn’t like scenes. He didn’t tolerate ambushes. And he definitely wasn’t going to let a loose-mouthed outsider start a fire on territory he’d sworn to keep safe.Antonio took one slow step forward. “Celeste,” he growled under his breath, “get back in the car—”“Don’t you dare talk to me like I’m the problem,” she hissed, throwing him a glare. “I warned you this was a bad idea. I told you we should have waited. But no— you just had to run straight to Xavier, like he’s the only one w
Forced Confession
The guards pulled back but didn’t disperse. They lingered around the courtyard like a pack waiting for Xavier’s next order. No one breathed freely. No one blinked too long. The air between all four of them was thick enough to slice.Xavier stood in front of Antonio, the tension between them bordering on physical. “Start talking,” he said. “And don’t test my patience with selective details.”Antonio didn’t answer immediately. His eyes flicked between Xavier, Amber, then Celeste—who remained by the gate, rigid, silent, controlled only by the need not to break again in their presence.Xavier took one step forward. “I asked you a question.”Antonio exhaled through clenched teeth. “Fine. You want the truth? You’ll get it.”Amber folded her arms, jaw locked. “About time.”Celeste didn’t move. She stayed outside the gate, watching, unreadable, yet every nerve in her body was braced—because she knew whatever Antonio said next would drag her name into the center of a storm she didn’t create.A
THE BLOW-UP
Antonio had barely gotten the first sentence out before Celeste’s patience finally snapped.“Before New York?” she repeated, her voice shaking with the kind of anger that had been building since the instant her passport was flagged in Heathrow. “You’re starting from ‘before New York’ when I’ve been dragged across borders, detained, questioned, embarrassed, and now told to stand outside like a stray?”Amber’s lips curved. Not kindly. “If the shoe fits.”Celeste turned slowly toward her.Xavier muttered, “Amber—”“Don’t ‘Amber’ me,” she cut in, eyes fixed on Celeste. “I’ve watched this woman circle Antonio like a shadow for months. Every time trouble touches him, somehow she’s in the picture. You want me to act blind now?”Celeste didn’t laugh—she scoffed. “You think I enjoy being anywhere near him? You think I flew across the world because I like being part of your little drama-filled circle?”“This is not a circle,” Amber said sharply. “This is my estate. My security. My responsibilit
Distractions
“Sir, something’s happening at the east entrance. You need to see this now.”The guard’s voice cut through the hallway like a blade. Xavier didn’t move at first; his eyes stayed locked on Antonio, who still looked like a man hanging onto the last thread of patience he had left. But the urgency in the guard’s face made Xavier shift.Amber pushed past the guard before Xavier could respond. “What now?” Her irritation sharpened every word. “Your estate is turning into a circus, Xavier.”Xavier followed her, and Antonio trailed behind them despite the earlier warning not to move. No one addressed him; the tension had become its own breathing thing.They turned the corner toward the east entrance—then everything snapped into focus.Celeste.Standing outside the gate like a storm that had found legs.She wasn’t just arguing with the guards; she was practically ready to tear the gate off the hinges if that’s what it took to get inside. Her voice was raised, firm, unfiltered—demanding that the
Say It With Your Chest
Amber’s heels hit the marble before Xavier even finished his sentence. A sound that told the room she had heard enough even before stepping inside.Antonio turned slightly as she entered the atrium, but Amber didn’t spare him a glance at first. She looked at Xavier directly like she was confirming something she already knew.Then she finally faced Antonio.Her expression didn’t hold anger. It held precision. A different kind of heat—controlled, intelligent, dangerous.“Good,” Amber said, adjusting the sleeve of her robe like she had walked into a board meeting, not a standoff. “You’re still here. Saves me the trouble of dragging you back.”Antonio straightened. “I didn’t come here for you.”“And yet,” Amber replied, “you’re on my property.”“That wasn’t your problem ten minutes ago,” Antonio snapped. “I just want to see my daughter.”Amber tilted her head. “And I want a world without incompetent men. Look how life disappoints us both.”Antonio’s jaw locked. “Don’t start with—”“I’m no
You Don't Get To Demand Anything Here
Amber’s estate did not welcome unexpected visitors. The gates alone stood like a verdict—silent, fortified, and far from forgiving. Antonio stepped out of the black sedan the moment it stopped, posture rigid, eyes fixed on the security point as though he intended to force his way through by sheer will.He didn’t get the chance because Xavier was already outside. He looked prepared, like someone who had been counting down the minutes to this confrontation.Antonio’s jaw tightened. “Where is she?”Xavier didn’t blink. “Behind a gate you’re not walking through.”Antonio took a step forward, and Xavier raised a hand, not a threat, just a warning. “Don’t test me today.”“I came to see my daughter,” Antonio said, voice lowered, steady. “That’s all.”“You came to confirm the damage you caused without telling me,” Xavier corrected. “And you’re going to start with that.”Antonio let out a breath he’d been holding since New York. “Xavier, I don’t have time for this.”“You will make time,” Xavie
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