"Thank you," Sarah murmured, her fingers brushing past the barista's as she took hold of her freshly brewed coffee.
She turned on her heel, intending to find a quiet, secluded corner of the bustling cafe where she could melt into the background. But she barely made it three steps before her legs suddenly froze. There, right in the center of the sunlit room, sat a face she knew all too well—a face that instantly set off an alarm in her chest. The woman was leaning back in her chair, laughing effortlessly, surrounded by a small audience.
Sarah's breath caught in her throat. Her instinct for self-preservation kicked in immediately; she pivoted on her heel, desperate to blend back into the crowd and slip out the door unnoticed. But fate, as it turned out, was not on her side today.
"Sarah!"
