Chapter 5 Secrets Brewed

The nights after that dinner felt different-charged with anticipation.

Ethan still came in every morning, same as always, but now his eyes lingered longer, his smile came easier, and sometimes, he stayed long enough to help Talia wipe down tables. It became their quiet rhythm: she poured the coffee, and he poured pieces of himself into the silence between them.

But beneath the comfort, secrets simmered.

Talia tried not to ask too many questions. Ethan had a way of answering with half-truths, and she didn't want to shatter whatever fragile thing they were building. Still, she couldn't ignore the tension in his shoulders whenever his phone rang-or how he always ignored certain calls.

One Tuesday morning, while she was restocking pastries, Harper pulled her aside.

"Girl, I Googled him again," she whispered.

Talia rolled her eyes. "Seriously?"

"Seriously! And it's not just that he's a billionaire. His company's about to announce a huge merger. Headquarters is moving to London."

Talia froze. "London?"

"Yeah. It's all over the financial blogs. Haven't you asked him?"

She hadn't.

Later that day, when Ethan sat at the counter with his coffee, she worked up the nerve.

"Any plans to travel soon?" she asked casually, wiping a clean surface again.

He didn't look at her. "Why?"

"Just curious."

A pause.

"I might have to be away for a while," he said carefully. "Business."

"Across the ocean kind of away?"

He finally looked up. "Talia-"

But she was already backing off.

"Forget I asked."

What he didn't know was that Bean & Bloom had its own expiration date. Their landlord had handed them a notice last week: rent was going up. Way up. They had three months left.

Talia hadn't told Ethan.

Two people. Two secrets. Two ticking clocks.

And not enough time.