Chapter 4 — An Unlikely Proposal

Theo Marcellus

The café was a quiet retreat, tucked into the corner of a cobblestone street that seemed untouched by the city’s restless pace. Its dim lighting, softened by flickering candles on each small table, offered an intimacy that Theo Marcellus didn’t entirely welcome. The faint hum of espresso machines and the warm, sugary scent of baked pastries filled the air, but he barely noticed. His attention was fixed on the woman sitting across from him, her auburn hair glowing like threads of fire in the candlelight. Ivy Laurent leaned forward, a spark of determination in her sharp hazel eyes that seemed to cut through the softly lit haze of the room.