The Prince Who Chose Her

Growing Attraction

If Amelia Hart had learned anything over the past five years, it was this: that routine was safe. Routine was predictable. Routine doesn't break your heart.

Every morning she woke up at six, got Lily ready for school, opened the café, smiled at customers, baked pastries, balanced bills, and came home exhausted.

It wasn't glamorous. It wasn't exciting. But it was hers. And most importantly, it didn't involve handsome strangers who made her forget what she was saying halfway through a sentence.

Unfortunately, Adrian Valmont had become increasingly difficult to ignore.

Especially because Lily had apparently decided he was now part of the family.

"Mama?"

Amelia looked up from the tray of croissants she was arranging.

"Yes?"

"Do you think Adrian likes dinosaurs?"

Amelia sighed.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"I'm making him a picture."

Of course, she was.

Lily sat at one of the café tables surrounded by crayons, stickers, and enough glitter to create a national emergency.

"Why does Adrian need a dinosaur picture?"

"Because he looked sad yesterday."

That caught Amelia's attention.

"Sad?"

Lily nodded.

"He was sitting on his porch."

Amelia frowned and said, "I didn't notice."

Lily looked at her suspiciously.

"You notice everything."

That was probably true, especially when it came to Adrian, which was precisely the problem.

Over the last two weeks, she had started noticing far too much. The way he always greeted elderly neighbors, the way he carried groceries for Mrs. Henderson without being asked, the way he remembered everyone's names, the way he listened when people spoke and perhaps most dangerously… the way he looked at her.

Not constantly.

Not, obviously.

But enough.

Enough that she had begun noticing. Enough that her pulse occasionally forgot how to function properly. Enough that she sometimes caught herself thinking about him before bed.

Which absolutely needed to stop, immediately.

The bell above the café door rang.

Amelia looked up.

And immediately regretted it.

Because there he was.

Again.

As though the universe enjoyed testing her patience.

Adrian stepped inside wearing dark jeans and a navy sweater rolled to his forearms.

Why did he always look so unfairly attractive?

It was honestly becoming annoying.

"Good morning."

His voice wrapped around her like warm honey.

Amelia hated that she noticed things like that.

"Morning."

His eyes lingered on her.

A second too long.

Then two.

Then three.

Something warm settled low in her stomach.

Dangerous.

Very dangerous.

"Mama."

Lily's whisper somehow sounded louder than a scream.

"What?"

"He's looking at you."

"I know."

"You like it."

"I do not."

Lily grinned.

Traitor.

Absolute traitor.

Adrian approached the counter.

"What are you two plotting?"

"Nothing."

"Something."

Mother and daughter answered simultaneously.

His smile widened.

"I see."

No.

He definitely saw too much.

"What can I get you?" Amelia asked quickly.

Adrian pretended to study the menu.

"I'll have a coffee."

"Anything else?"

His eyes met hers.

A slow smile curved his mouth.

"No."

Heat rushed into her cheeks.

Why did that feel like it meant something?

It probably didn't.

She was overthinking.

Definitely overthinking.

Lily suddenly jumped from her chair.

"I have something for you!"

Before either adult could react, she raced over carrying her drawing.

Adrian accepted it carefully.

A bright green dinosaur occupied most of the page.

The dinosaur wore a crown.

And stood beside a stick figure with dark hair.

Amelia froze.

So did Adrian.

For the briefest moment.

Then it was gone.

Hidden beneath a smile.

"Wow."

Lily beamed.

"That's you."

"The dinosaur?"

"The king dinosaur."

Adrian laughed.

"An important distinction."

"You look like a prince."

Amelia nearly dropped a coffee mug.

Silence.

Dangerous silence.

Then Adrian smiled.

"And what does a prince look like?"

Lily pointed at him.

"You."

For a second, something unreadable flashed through his eyes.

Something old.

Something painful.

Then he gently folded the drawing.

"I love it."

Lily looked delighted.

And just like that, the tension disappeared.

At least on the surface.

But Amelia noticed. She noticed the slight tightening of Adrian's jaw. The brief shadow crossing his expression. And once again, curiosity stirred.

Who exactly was Adrian?

Because every answer seemed to create three new questions.

That evening, rain rolled across the neighborhood.

Heavy rain.

The kind that turned streets silver and rooftops into drums.

Amelia sat on her porch after putting Lily to bed.

A mug of tea warmed her hands.

The quiet felt nice.

Rare.

Necessary.

She closed her eyes.

Enjoying the cool breeze.

"Couldn't sleep either?"

Her eyes flew open.

Adrian stood on his porch next door.

A steaming mug rested in his hands.

Rain tapped softly against the roof above him.

"No."

He nodded.

"Me neither."

For a moment, neither spoke.

The silence felt comfortable.

Unexpectedly comfortable, which somehow felt even more dangerous.

Most people filled silence because they couldn't bear it. Adrian didn't seem to mind and neither did she.

Eventually he spoke.

"You're always working."

Amelia laughed softly.

"That's one way to pay bills."

"You make it look easy."

The compliment surprised her.

"Trust me. It isn't."

"No?"

She shook her head.

"There are days I have no idea what I'm doing."

Adrian smiled.

"I find that hard to believe."

"Why?"

"Because you seem capable of handling anything."

The sincerity in his voice made her chest tighten.

Not because of the compliment, but because he sounded like he meant it.

And somehow that mattered. Far more than it should have.

She looked down at her tea.

"Not everything." The words slipped out before she could stop them.

When she looked up again, Adrian was watching her carefully.

"What happened?"

Amelia laughed softly.

"You don't ask small questions, do you?"

"No."

That made her smile.

The rain continued falling around them.

Soft.

Steady.

Safe.

And somehow, before she realized what she was doing, she found herself talking.

Not everything.

Never everything.

But enough.

Enough to mention the difficult years after Lily was born. Enough to mention building the café. Enough to mention learning how to survive alone, how to be strong and independent and unyielding.

She didn't say Damian's name. But she didn't need to.

Adrian understood. She could see it in his eyes.

And when she finally finished speaking, he didn't offer advice.

Didn't offer pity.

Didn't tell her everything happened for a reason.

He simply said, "You deserved better."

Three words.

That's all.

Three simple words.

Yet somehow they nearly broke her.

Because no one had ever said them before. Not her friends, not her family, not even herself.

For years, she had blamed herself. Wondered what she had done wrong. Wondered why she hadn't been enough.

And now this man sat across from her in the rain and casually shattered years of self-doubt.

"You don't even know me."

"I know enough."

His voice was quiet.

Certain.

Steady.

The look in his eyes made it difficult to breathe.

And suddenly Amelia realized something terrifying.

She liked that he looked at her that way. In fact, she wanted him to keep looking at her like that.

Wanted it far more than she should.

The realization sent panic through her chest, because attraction was one thing. Attraction could be ignored.

But this?

This felt dangerously close to trust.

And trust had destroyed her once already.

She just couldn't afford that mistake again.

"Adrian—"

Her phone rang.

The sound shattered the moment.

Both of them blinked.

Reality rushing back.

Amelia glanced at the screen and froze. It was an unknown number.

Something cold settled in her stomach. Slowly, she answered.

"Hello?"

Silence.

Then a familiar voice.

One she hadn't heard in years.

One she recognized instantly.

Her blood turned to ice.

"Amelia."

Her hand tightened around the phone.

No.

No.

No.

Not now.

Not after everything.

Not after five years.

Adrian immediately noticed the change in her expression.

The color draining from her face.

The tension locking her shoulders.

"Amelia?"

She barely heard him.

Because the voice on the phone continued.

"Did you miss me?”

Damian.

The mug slipped from Amelia's hand, shattering against the porch floor.

And for the first time in years... the ghost she thought she'd escaped had finally returned.