Chapter 2 Guarded heart

Carl Woode told himself that returning to the café had nothing to do with Marilyn Porter.

It was convenience, he reasoned. The place was close to his office, the coffee when made correctly was tolerable, and his schedule had been relentless all week. There was no deeper meaning behind the way his feet carried him there every morning or how his eyes automatically searched the counter the moment he stepped inside.

None at all.

Yet the moment the bell chimed above the café door and Carl saw Marilyn standing behind the counter, sleeves rolled up, sunlight catching in her hair, something tightened in his chest.

She noticed him too.

Her expression barely changed, but there was a flicker in her eyes-recognition mixed with mild annoyance. She didn't smile. She didn't frown. She simply turned back to the espresso machine as if he were just another customer.

And for some reason, that bothered him.

Carl took his place in line, resisting the urge to demand immediate service. He could feel the weight of his own reputation pressing against his restraint. People whispered when he entered rooms; doors opened before he knocked. But here, in this small café that smelled of cinnamon and coffee beans, none of that seemed to matter.

"Next," Marilyn called.

Carl stepped forward.

"Black coffee," he said, then added stiffly, "please."

Marilyn glanced at him, surprise flickering across her face for just a second. Then she nodded. "That'll be three dollars."

Carl reached for his wallet, then paused. "That's it?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes," she replied. "That's usually how prices work."

He huffed softly but paid without another word. As she handed him the cup, their fingers brushed brief, accidental, and yet electric.

Marilyn felt it instantly.

She pulled her hand back faster than necessary, her heart skipping in a way she hadn't expected. She scolded herself silently. He was arrogant. Rude. Completely full of himself. There was no reason for her pulse to race over a simple touch.

Carl noticed it too.

The warmth of her skin lingered far longer than it should have. He walked away with the cup clenched in his hand, irritation blooming not at her, but at himself.

This was ridiculous.

Over the following days, their interactions followed a familiar pattern: sharp remarks, stubborn silences, and an undeniable pull neither of them acknowledged aloud. Carl criticized the coffee; Marilyn criticized his attitude. Yet every argument carried an undercurrent that felt far too personal to be dismissed as annoyance.

One morning, Carl arrived particularly late, tension radiating from him like heat.

"Rough day already?" Marilyn asked dryly as she took his order.

"You wouldn't understand," he replied without thinking.

That earned him a sharp look. "Try me."

He scoffed. "Board meetings, acquisitions, people who can't do their jobs properly. It's not exactly café-level stress."

The words landed harder than he intended.

Marilyn's jaw tightened. "You're right," she said coolly. "I don't sit in glass offices making decisions that affect numbers on a screen. I deal with real people. Real problems."

He opened his mouth to retort, then stopped.

There was something in her voice quiet strength, unshakable dignity that unsettled him. He wasn't used to being challenged, especially not by someone who didn't care who he was.

"Maybe," she continued, "if you tried listening instead of assuming, you'd understand more than you think."

Silence stretched between them.

Carl felt an unfamiliar sensation creeping up his spine. Guilt. He pushed it away immediately.

"You talk too much," he muttered.

"And you feel too little," she shot back.

The words followed him all the way back to his office.

That afternoon, Carl found himself distracted during meetings, Marilyn's voice echoing in his mind. 'You feel too little.' The phrase irritated him because, deep down, he feared it might be true.

Marilyn, meanwhile, tried to shake him from her thoughts as well. She had grown up valuing simplicity hard work, kindness, honesty. Carl Woode represented everything she claimed to dislike: excess, arrogance, emotional distance.

And yet...

She couldn't ignore the way his shoulders sagged slightly when he thought no one was watching, or how his eyes darkened with something like sadness when conversations drifted toward family. There was more to him than sharp suits and sharper words.

One evening, just before closing, Carl entered the café again.

Marilyn frowned. "We're closing."

"I know," he said. "I just needed... coffee."

She hesitated, then sighed. "Five minutes."

The café was quieter than usual, the golden glow of evening settling around them. Marilyn worked silently, the clink of porcelain echoing softly. Carl leaned against the counter, watching her movements precise, practiced, almost graceful.

"Why do you hate me so much?" he asked suddenly.

She froze.

"I don't hate you," she said after a moment. "I just don't like how you treat people."

He studied her face. "People treat me differently first."

"That doesn't mean you get to punish everyone for it."

Her honesty struck him like a blow.

"You don't know anything about me," he said quietly.

"Then tell me," she replied just as softly.

For a moment, Carl considered it considered opening a door he had kept locked for decades. But fear rose swiftly, sharp and commanding.

"No," he said, straightening. "Forget I asked."

Marilyn handed him his coffee, her fingers lingering just long enough this time to be intentional. "You don't have to carry everything alone," she said gently.

He met her gaze, something vulnerable flickering behind his eyes before he masked it.

"I'm not alone," he said.

But the way his voice faltered betrayed him.

As he left, Marilyn watched him go, her heart aching with an emotion she hadn't expected compassion.

Carl Woode wasn't a bad man.

He was a wounded one.

And without realizing it, Marilyn Porter had begun to crack the walls around his heart brick by brick.

The arguments would continue. The tension would deepen. But beneath the surface, something far more powerful was growing.

That evening, Carl sat across from his father in the dim dining room of Darius Woode's estate. The walls were lined with portraits of powerful men ancestors, partners, rivals defeated. Legacy loomed heavy in the air.

"You've been distracted," Darius said, cutting into his steak.

"I've been busy," Carl replied evenly.

"Busy men don't make careless investments."

Carl stiffened. "Which investment?"

"This café you've been frequenting," Darius said coolly. "The one in the east district."

Carl's eyes narrowed. "You had me followed?"

"I keep informed," Darius replied. "Sentiment clouds judgment, Carl. Don't tell me you're wasting time on distractions."

Carl set his fork down carefully. "It's coffee."

Darius scoffed. "It's never just coffee."

Carl stood abruptly. "I won't be managed."

Darius's gaze hardened. "You're my son. Everything you do reflects on the family."

Carl leaned forward, voice low. "Then trust me to decide what matters."

For a moment, neither man spoke.

Finally, Darius waved a dismissive hand. "Just remember who you are."

Carl left without dessert.

As he drove back through the city, Marilyn Porter's words echoed in his mind.

You don't have to carry everything alone.

For the first time, Carl wondered what it would mean to stop measuring and start feeling.

And that thought scared him more than he cared to admit.