Chapter 58

Cassandra’s entire day dissolved into a whirl of motion and purpose. From the moment she stepped into the restaurant at dawn, she was swept up in a tide of orders, deliveries, and the bright-eyed anticipation of a crowd eager to taste the cuisine she and Zoe had dreamed into existence. When the doors finally swung open, a steady stream of customers poured in. Among them were the Valkyries—the fierce, loyal friends Cassandra had made in this city—who cheered her on with warm smiles and unspoken pride. Their support buoyed her spirits in ways she couldn’t fully name, filling her with inspiration and steely resolve. Every steaming plate she carried from kitchen to table felt like a small triumph; every compliment, a personal victory.

So utterly absorbed was she in the rhythm of service that Cassandra’s thoughts never drifted back to last night’s confession until the moment she locked the front door behind her at day’s end. Only then, as the evening air brushed across her cheeks,