Ellie POV
The café was trendy, with glass walls at the front and a beautiful mural depicting wolves along the wall behind the outdoor seating area out back. The morning rush had already passed and the lunch rush hadn’t started, so it wasn’t busy at the moment.
Still, I couldn’t help but feel out of place.
I tugged at the sleeve of my dress as the hostess led me toward the private alcove where Kieran was waiting. A simple lunch, that’s what he had promised. Just conversation to get to know each other, nothing political.
I wasn’t naïve enough to believe that.
Kieran rose as I approached, every movement smooth, practiced. He was dressed in a tailored suit, his smile sharp but polished, as if he’d worn it a thousand times before.
He pulled my chair out for me like a gentleman, but his
