A Vow of Deception, A Vow of Revenge novel Chapter 25

He'd wanted to ask if she was Elvis's girlfriend, but worried about being presumptuous if he guessed wrong. Still, the two of them did look perfect together.

"This is Miss Thorne. She's... a friend of mine."

"Nice to meet you," Winona greeted him politely.

Though she hadn't known Elvis long, everything they'd been through in the past few days certainly qualified them as friends.

"Miss Thorne, welcome, welcome!" The man's face creased with a broad smile. "Come on in, please. I started prepping as soon as Evan called, and it's just about ready."

Aside from the owner, a few servers, and themselves, the place was empty—it seemed the café wasn't open to the public for breakfast today.

No sooner had they sat down than a server brought over two steaming baskets of dumplings, the wrappers so thin they were almost translucent, each one pleated like a flower with a fat shrimp nestled inside.

Winona hadn't thought she was hungry, but now her stomach rumbled in anticipation.

"The house shrimp dumplings are second to none," Elvis said, picking one up with the serving fork and placing it on her plate. "Give it a try."

The moment she bit through the delicate wrapper, a burst of savory broth filled her mouth. Winona's eyes lit up.

Delicious—no doubt about it.

Elvis watched her delight, a smile slowly warming his features.

The owner and his staff returned with more dishes: creamy pumpkin porridge, tender cornbread, wonton noodles—a whole table overflowing with breakfast.

"That's everything," the owner said with a chuckle. "I brought out every breakfast dish we have. Please, take your time and enjoy."

With that, he and the servers left, giving Elvis and Winona privacy to eat.

The mountain mist was lifting; sunlight streamed through the carved window panes, striping the table and slicing their shadows into slender ribbons.

Back home, Winona's breakfast was always something quick—maybe a couple of pastries or just a slice of toast. Today, though, she ate far more than usual.

A prompt reply: "OK."

Elvis noticed the change in her expression. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

Winona snapped out of her daze and managed a smile. "It's nothing."

He didn't push. Once they finished breakfast, they thanked the owner and headed out.

"Where are you staying? I'll drive you."

Elvis opened the car door for her.

Winona knew it was tough to get a cab out here, so she didn't stand on ceremony. "Could you please drop me at Goodwin Enterprises?"

"Miss Thorne," Elvis's face hardened. "What you need right now is rest—not throwing yourself back into work for that man."