The "Café Nostalgia" lived up to its name, a relic of a bygone era stubbornly clinging to existence amidst the encroaching modernity of the city's edge. Its faded blue awning sagged slightly, and the window display held a dusty assortment of chipped mugs and yellowed photographs.
Evelyn sat ramrod straight in the worn vinyl of the corner booth, her trench coat a dark, protective shroud beside her. Her gaze, sharp and unwavering, was fixed on the entrance, each chime of the bell above the door eliciting a subtle tightening of her jaw.
Across from her, Adrian leaned back against the cushioned seat, his long fingers wrapped around a steaming mug of black coffee. He exuded a quiet calm, an island of stillness in Evelyn’s brewing storm, yet his eyes, too, held a watchful alertness.
“She s
