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She thought, arriving this early, she’d have to wait a while for him. But after parking her car, she was surprised to see he’d already arrived.
They had agreed in advance to sit by the window once they got there.
He wore a black suit, a bright red rose in his hand.
She wore a brown wool coat and held a plush capybara toy in her arms.
Because Elias always texted in such a stiff, by–the–book style–like a grumpy old man–she had imagined he’d probably look the part, too.
Most likely balding. Probably with a beer belly.
But from a distance, Elias actually had a pretty nice build.
Even seated, his posture was impressively straight.
She couldn’t see his legs too clearly under the table, but overall, he gave off the impression of being tall- and young.
Maybe it was the sound of the café door opening, but he turned his head slightly in her direction, the back of his head facing her now.
She had to admit–even the back of his head was kind of good–looking.
But what caught her attention most was his hand.
His right hand held the rose with effortless grace, wrist slightly bent, the joints elegant and pale, like sculpted jade–quietly striking.
As if sensing her stare, he slowly turned his face toward her.
He looked up so suddenly that Lily felt like a student caught goofing off by the class monitor. Startled, she ducked behind the wall next to her.
That’s when she saw his face clearly.
It was a face of cold elegance, carved to perfection…
James‘ face.
Lily froze, completely stunned.
She never could’ve imagined that the Elias she’d come to trust and confide in–was actually James.
She really liked talking to Elias.
She even felt a little attached to him.
But because she’d never met him in person, chatting with him made her feel warm–just not the kind of
