Chapter 4 — An Unconventional Proposal

Ben Hartley

The café was tucked into a quiet corner of the city, far from the prying eyes of paparazzi and the relentless hum of celebrity culture. Its unassuming exterior—painted a muted green and nestled between a hardware store and an old bookstore—offered a rare pocket of normalcy in Ben Hartley's otherwise chaotic life. He pushed open the door, the faint jingle of the bell above his head announcing his arrival.