Chapter 1: unexpected visitor
The soft chime above the café door rang as the last customer of the evening stepped outside. Anne offered a gentle smile and waved before locking the door behind them. Silence settled over the little café, broken only by the quiet hum of the espresso machine and the rain tapping against the windows.
Anne let out a small sigh.
She was short, with snowy white hair that framed her face in soft waves. Her warm brown eyes always carried a gentle kindness, even on the longest days. Though shy around strangers, she had a caring heart that made regular customers feel at home. She moved with quiet confidence, carefully wiping tables and stacking clean cups, her curvy figure hidden beneath a simple brown apron.
She had no family waiting for her when she closed the café.
No parents.
No siblings.
No one to ask how her day had gone.
The tiny apartment above the bakery across the street was the closest thing she had to a home. It wasn't much, but it was warm enough, and it was hers.
Anne had learned long ago not to dwell on loneliness. Instead, she poured her kindness into every cup of coffee she served and every pastry she handed across the counter. Seeing someone smile because of her was enough to make the empty days feel a little brighter.
She switched off the espresso machine and gathered her things. Her bag rested beside the employee counter, already packed with a book, her wallet, and a neatly folded umbrella.
"Another day," she whispered to herself with a small smile.
She slipped off her apron, folded it carefully, and placed it in her locker before putting on a light cream-colored coat.
Just as she reached for the café's light switch—
Ding.
The bell above the front door rang.
Anne froze.
Her heart skipped a beat.
"I... I thought I locked the door..."
Slowly, she turned.
Standing in the doorway was a man unlike anyone she'd ever seen.
He was tall, dressed in a dark tailored coat that looked expensive enough to buy the café itself. His black hair was slightly tousled from the rain, and his piercing crimson eyes swept across the room before settling on her.
There was an air of confidence around him that filled the café without a single word.
Anne instinctively stepped back.
"I-I'm sorry..." she said quietly. "We're... we're already closed."
The man didn't move.
Instead, a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"So you must be Anne."
Her eyes widened.
"You... know my name?"
"I do."
