Chapter 235

Cecilia's pov The café tucked away in the alley was the kind of place you'd expect to find struggling novelists nursing lukewarm lattes and existential dread. Exposed brick, mismatched furniture, faint jazz humming through old speakers. It was cozy, low-profile--perfect for staying off the radar. Too perfect. Like someone designed it to feel non-threatening. That only made me more tense. We'd been waiting forever. Or at least that's how it felt. I stirred my third cappuccino, watching the foam collapse in slow motion. The bitterness barely registered. My nerves had already burned through the caffeine hours ago. Tang groaned and sprawled across his chair like a bored teenager at Sunday brunch. "Is Evelyn even coming? Or did she ghost us for a hangover nap?" Sawyer gave him a look that could've been filed under "told you so" in a courtroom. "Our lovely informant probably realized she'd rather not get involved in high-level intrigue today. Can we leave now, or are we still pretending this