Chapter 22: Shadows at Lunch
It had been a few days since the snowy cabin retreat, and Lina was still glowing from the warmth of those memories.
Life, however, had a tendency to balance sweet moments with something bitter.
Today, though, it was just lunch. A girl's lunch.
The three of them—Lina, Mia, and Hanna—had picked a cozy bistro tucked into a quieter part of the city.
A sunny table by the window, light laughter, shared desserts, and playful teasing filled the space between them.
"I swear," Hanna said, sipping her sparkling water, "Jonas is like one of those wild romance novel heroes who also happens to own half the world and knows how to cook."
"Right?" Mia chuckled. "Do we even know if he's real? Or did Lina conjure him with a candle ritual and a full moon?"
Lina laughed, cheeks flushed. "I'm just lucky."
They had just started on dessert—a fluffy lemon tart—when Mia froze, fork halfway to her mouth.
Her gaze slid past Lina's shoulder and locked onto something... or someone.
Her entire demeanor shifted.
"Mia?" Hanna asked.
"That guy," Mia said, barely above a whisper.
"At the corner table. Black shirt. Third table from the left."
Lina turned casually to glance. He was undeniably good-looking—well-dressed, confident.
Maybe too confident. He was already watching them.
When their eyes met, he lifted his wine glass and smirked.
Then, in a deliberate, greasy gesture, he winked.
Mia inhaled sharply and muttered, "Asshole."
"You know him?" Lina asked.
"I wish I didn't," Mia said. "His name's Luca.
Last year of high school… he and his little crew used to grope girls in the hallway.
I slapped him once, he laughed in my face."
Hanna's brow furrowed. "Wait. Luca Novak?"
"You know him too?"
"Yeah. Same uni. Same energy. I once caught him filming upskirts at a party and confronted him. He said I must've wanted it if I wore a skirt."
The tart lost all flavor in Lina's mouth. The sparkle in their lunch dimmed.