AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Shadows with cameras and notepads tailed me, dogged steps matching mine. They called out, voices eager, invasive.
“Mila! How serious are things with Cassius Portman?”
“Are the rumors true about the community center?”
“Is this a modern-day fairy tale?”
I clutched my grocery bags tighter, quickening my pace. Each question was a needle, pricking at the balloon of my private life. I ducked into an alley, hoping for a moment’s respite.
The echo of my sigh bounced off the brick walls, mingling with the distant clamor of the city. This was the price of a midnight dance and a slipper left behind—my Cinderella story turned into an intrusive headline.
As I emerged from the other end of the alley, the glare of sunlight met me like an unwelcome spotlight. A young mother wrestled with a stroller near the bus stop. Our eyes met; hers held a flicker of recognition before she offered me a sympathetic nod. My heart sank further.
The front door of Breadcetera welcomed me with its familiar jingle. Inside, the scent of freshly baked bread wrapped around me like a comforting shawl. Josie sat at our usual table by the window, her expression softening as I approached.
“I saw them out there,” she said, pulling out a chair for me. “Vultures.”
I set my bags down and slumped into the seat. “Feels like I’m trapped in a glass box—everyone watching, waiting for me to trip.”
Josie poured me a cup of coffee from the carafe on our table, her movements thoughtful. “But you’re not tripping, Mila. You’re walking through this with more grace than most could muster.”
I cradled the warm mug in my hands, letting its heat seep into my chilled fingers. “Grace doesn’t pay bills or fend off paparazzi.”
“You’re handling it better than you think,” Josie assured me, reaching across to squeeze my hand.
I shook my head, frustration threading through my voice. “Every move I make affects Cass now—his reputation, his business… us.” I stared into the dark liquid as if it held answers. “Is love supposed to feel like you’re constantly walking a tightrope?”
Josie’s gaze was steady and clear. “Love is messy and complicated and sometimes… public.” She paused, taking a breath before continuing. “But what matters is how it feels when all eyes are off you—when it’s just you and him.”
Her words landed with gentle weight on my chest.
“What if this never ends?” I whispered.
Josie reached for a pastry from the tray between us, breaking off a piece and popping it into her mouth before speaking again. “Then you make sure to carve out a piece that’s just yours—just Mila’s world.”
“Thanks,” I murmured, feeling some semblance of clarity dawning within me. “For always being here—to listen.”
Josie’s smile was as warm as the coffee in our cups. “That’s what friends are for.”
Chapter Thirty
Mila
“I have something for you,” Cass said, his voice smooth like the silk tie knotted at his throat.
I shifted uncomfortably in my worn sneakers, a stark contrast to the polished marble beneath my feet. “What is it?”
He extended an envelope, thick and edged with gold. “An invitation. There’s a gala this weekend. High-profile, but I’d like you there. With me.”
I stared at the envelope as if it might bite. “A gala?” The word felt foreign on my tongue, a language I wasn’t fluent in.
Cass nodded, his eyes never leaving mine. “Yes, Mila. No masks this time.”
A rush of nerves bubbled up inside me, threatening to spill over. His world was galaxies away from mine, filled with stars I couldn’t even dream of reaching.
“I don’t think I’d fit in,” I confessed, fingers tracing the edge of the envelope without taking it.
Cass closed the distance between us, his hand covering mine. “Leave that to me.”
