Chapter 54 COFFEE SHOP

Chapter 54 COFFEE SHOP
Vivienne claimed a corner booth far from the entrance of the Turning Page Café, sliding onto the bench with her back to the wall. The same coffee shop with the blue roof where she bought her coffee every morning.
It was 5:05 PM in the evening, and coffee was probably a bad idea, but she didn't care. She needed it and a minute to hear herself think.
She wrapped her fingers around her vanilla latte, savoring the warmth that traveled up her arms. For now, she could breathe without hearing anything about the motion capture or Isabella's insulting comments. And Alexander's eyes weren't following her every move.
The past twenty-four hours had pulled at her nerves, stretching them to breaking point. Starting from Alexander's gala announcement, and even before then, the cryptic phone call with his mother.
"Everything is going according to plan."
What plan?
As if that wasn't enough, now Jane's email sat unread in her inbox. She had sent the gala details, and Vivienne had been avoiding it since yesterday.
She opened her laptop, wincing at the notification showing twenty-three unread messages. Most from Marcus. Two from Rebecca. And right at the top, Jane Sterling's "URGENT: Tyranny Gala Details" with a little red exclamation point.
Vivienne clicked it open, scanning the contents. Formal attire required. Media presence confirmed. Key investors attending. Brief speech expected from her as the face of Athena.
A speech. In public. With cameras.
Her stomach knotted tight. This was more than she signed up for. The contract mentioned promotional activities, but nothing about galas with speeches and investors and...
The bell above the door chimed.
Vivienne didn't look up at first, eyes still glued to her keyboard. But something, a collective intake of breath from the baristas and a whisper from a nearby table, made her.
She raised her eyes and met Alexander's across the room.
He stood in the doorway, wearing the same dark gray sweater with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows. His eyes widened slightly, clearly surprised to find her here this late.
For a suspended moment, neither spoke. Then Alexander walked toward her.
"Ms. Cross." His voice was softer here than at work. "I didn't expect to see you here."
"Likewise." She gestured vaguely at her laptop. "Just catching up on emails."
Alexander adjusted slightly. "May I join you? Or would you prefer to be alone?"
Every instinct told her to send him away and protect this small sanctuary she'd found. To keep her distance far away from him and his troublesome mother.
"Sure." The word surprised her as much as him. "I mean, if you want."
He slid into the seat across from her, placing his phone face down on the table.
"I come here most mornings," he said. "Best coffee in the neighborhood."
"You mentioned," she said flatly. "And likewise."
There was a moment of silence between them, awkward at first. Then a barista called out Alexander's name, and he returned with a black coffee and two muffins.
"I got you blueberry." He pushed one toward her. "The woman at the counter said it's what you usually order."
Vivienne blinked at the muffin. "You didn't have to."
"Peace offering." A hint of a smile touched his lips before disappearing. "You've been avoiding me since Maya and, well, the gala announcement."
"I haven't been..."
"You have." He took a sip of his coffee. "And I understand why."
Vivienne closed her laptop, giving up the pretense of work. "Do you?"
Alexander looked directly at her, his gaze surprisingly vulnerable. "I should have told you about the gala sooner. It wasn't fair to spring it on you like that."
"No, it wasn't." She broke off a piece of the muffin but didn't eat it. "Why didn't you?"
"Honestly?" He leaned back. "It was never part of the plan."
"So since it wasn't in the contract, I can choose not to go."
"Yes." Alexander ran a hand through his hair. "But I understand that the contract is already asking so much of you. I don't want to risk scaring you away entirely. I still think you should..."
"So you chose to ambush me instead?"
"I'm not ambushing you." He sighed. "The gala wasn't officially approved until recently. My uncle has been blocking it for months."
Vivienne watched his face carefully. "Your uncle?"
Alexander's jaw tightened. "Robert Hunt. My father's younger brother. He owns twenty percent of the company and thinks he should be running it instead of me."
"And the board agrees with him?"
"Some do." Alexander's voice dropped lower. "They think I'm too young, too idealistic. That I don't have what it takes to carry on my father's legacy."
"And Tyranny is your answer to that?" Vivienne pieced it together. "Your chance to prove them wrong?"
"It's more than that." He leaned forward, eyes intense. "Tyranny is mine. My vision. Not something my father started or my uncle influenced. If it succeeds, the board can't ignore what I'm capable of."
"And if it fails?"
His silence spoke volumes.
"My uncle would have enough leverage to call for a vote of no confidence," he finally said. "And certain board members would support him."
Vivienne stared at her coffee. This explained why he'd been so demanding, so perfectionist about every detail. Tyranny was his future.
"Your mother wants Camille there," she said. "As your date."
Surprise flashed across his face. "How did you...?"
"I heard things." She shrugged. "Office talk."
Alexander's mouth formed a tight line. "My mother thinks Camille's family connections will impress the investors. That we should present a united front."
"And what do you think?"
"I think it's manipulation." His voice hardened. "Using my personal life as a business strategy."
He looked at her, eyes softening. "I need you at that gala. Think of it as a favor. I know you to be someone who understands what it means to fight for something you've built."
The sincerity in his voice caught her off guard. She wanted to help him, wanted to protect what he'd built just as she'd fought to protect CrossLight, to protect Noah, to protect the life she'd constructed from nothing.
But Victoria would be there. She couldn't risk it.
"I'm just offended that you didn't mention it at any point before now," she said. "You could have at least cited it in the contract that there might be situations like this."
Alexander reached across the table, his hand near hers but not touching. "I know, and I understand you. But I wouldn't be asking now if it wasn't important."
The bell above the door chimed again, cutting sharply through their conversation.
"Alex? What the hell?"
Camille stood in the doorway, elegant in a tailored cream suit, her blonde hair swept into a perfect updo. Her eyes locked on their table, widening with shock, then narrowing to pure jealousy.
"What is this?" Her voice rose, carrying through the suddenly quiet coffee shop. "This is why you couldn't meet me for lunch? You're here with her?"
Alexander stood abruptly. "Camille, don't start."
"You refuse to pick up my calls, and now I find you with this nobody?" Camille waved a manicured hand toward Vivienne.
Customers turned to stare. A teenager at the next table pulled out his phone, angling it toward the scene.
Alexander shot up from his seat, grabbed Camille's arm, and steered her toward the door. "We're not doing this here."
Through the window, Vivienne watched them argue on the sidewalk. Camille's face crumpled, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Alexander stood rigid, his face hardening to stone. Camille fumbled in her purse, pulling out her phone and jabbing at the screen, clearly calling someone.
Victoria. It had to be. Vivienne's heart pounded against her ribs.
Minutes later, Alexander returned, his jaw clenched tight. "I'm sorry you had to see that."
Vivienne gathered her things, laptop sliding into her bag, coffee left half finished. This had just gotten infinitely more complicated.
"Your mother is going to find out about this coffee shop meeting, isn't she?"
He remained silent. That was enough answer.