ALEX.
The restaurant was quieter than I expected. Soft piano music floated through the air, blending with the low murmur of conversations and the clinking of cutlery. It was the kind of place people came to have serious talks, the kind that could change lives. I should have known that already. My chest felt tight the moment I stepped inside, like my body sensed what my mind was still refusing to accept.
Vanessa was already seated at a corner table.
She looked smaller, like guilt had shrunk her from the inside. Her hands trembled around a glass of water, eyes darting nervously every time the door opened.
The moment she saw me, she stood up abruptly. “Alex.”
I stopped a few feet away from the table. “You said you needed to talk,” I said flatly. “So talk.”
She swallowed hard and sat bac
