He Chased His Ex, I Axed the Vows

Maya Spencer never thought anyone would actually track her down, practically begging for her to cut loose. She’d just been heading out to take the trash when two burly bodyguards “escorted” her straight to a little bistro right on the edge of her neighborhood.

At first, Maya figured this wasn’t a kidnapping—something about it just didn’t feel right. It wasn’t until she spotted Elina Guzman sitting inside that she got it: these guys had actually invited her here for coffee.

"Welcome," two smiling hostesses chimed at the bistro entrance, nodding politely as Maya stepped in. The whole place was cleared out for the day—no other customers, totally reserved just for this little meeting.

Maya was still in her ratty cleaning clothes and fuzzy slippers, fresh from scrubbing down her apartment. A fine sheen of sweat glistened on her brow, and her hair was half-mussed from work. Any other day, a place this nice would’ve probably turned her away at the door. But today, thanks to Elina, the entire bistro was hers for the taking—she was the unexpected VIP.

She paused for a beat to size Elina up. The woman was dressed in a crisp, perfect Victorian-style gown that looked like it would be a tragedy to get last night’s pasta sauce on. Her long hair fell soft and sleek over her shoulders, and she wore barely any makeup— which only made her pale skin stand out more, highlighted that delicate, almost otherworldly softness about her. It was the kind of fragile beauty that made everyone, men and women alike, just want to wrap her up and protect her.

One of the bodyguards gave her a rough shove from behind. Maya stumbled, but caught herself before she hit the floor. This confrontation wasn’t getting out of it, that was for sure. Might as well own it. She steadied her feet, tucked a stray strand of hair back, and walked straight over.

Her eyes flicked straight to Elina’s arm, wrapped thick in bandages, and Maya didn’t waste a second firing the first shot. "Miss Guzman, shouldn’t you be playing the fragile little angel in a hospital bed somewhere? What’s the point of dragging yourself out just to invite a lowly mortal like me for coffee?"

Her bold energy filled the whole room, like *she* was the one who’d rented out the entire bistro. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Elina had been on the wrong end of Maya’s sharp tongue before, and now that she was face to face with her alone, she felt trapped—jittery, out of her depth.

Even bare-faced, Maya dripped with raw, striking beauty. Her natural fair skin glowed, her complexion so smooth and clear half the women in the city would kill for it. It was no wonder Rayan had fallen for her, slow and steady, over time.

Elina fought to keep her composure, forcing a soft, gentle smile to her lips. "Mrs. Spencer, please—have a seat."

Maya stayed planted where she was, hands planted firm on her hips. She knew exactly what this little meetup really was: a ticking time bomb waiting to go off. "Let’s cut the crap and get straight to the point. We both know this isn’t some friendly coffee chat."