Chapter 41. The Viral Photograph

It wasn’t the kind of photo that’s destined for a headline. It was grainy, slightly tilted—as if someone had raised their phone in passing, without even aiming for beauty. Just a moment, a gesture, a chance slip of light. In the dim corner of a tucked-away art café off Lennox Street, Max and Alyssa sat side by side. No hand-holding, no staged poses, no stylist, no press, no flashbulbs—just two people leaning in close while the world kept moving around them.

Alyssa’s head was thrown back in laughter, her hand caught midair as though she’d surprised herself with the perfect point. Max leaned forward, listening. His mouth stayed neutral, but his eyes softened with concentration, fixed on her in a way that had never made it into public view. Between them on the worn wooden tabletop sat two cappuccinos. One bore a crooked heart in its foam, fragile and half-formed.

There was no nameplate, no luxury car visible through the window, no glimpses of diamond watches. Only the glow