FINDING LOVE IN DARKNESS

The chill of late autumn wrapped itself around Ivy Carson as she stepped off the bus and onto the cracked pavement of Marlowe Bay. The coastal town was far from the glittering skyline of Manhattan, where her life had spiraled into chaos, and that was precisely the point. Here, the wind howled with salt instead of sirens, and the ocean roared loud enough to drown out the echoes of her past.

She pulled her coat tighter around her, the once-expensive wool now faded at the cuffs. Her suitcase was small-just enough clothes for a new start and a laptop filled with memories she hadn't had the courage to delete. As the bus wheezed away, Ivy stood motionless, watching it disappear into the mist. A strange sense of finality settled over her shoulders.

"You lost?"

The voice startled her. A woman with windblown curls and a friendly, sun-lined face stood a few feet away, holding a take-out coffee and a paper bag that smelled like cinnamon. Ivy straightened, trying to summon confidence.

"No. Just... new here."

The woman smiled knowingly. "That makes two of us. Sort of. I run the Lighthouse Café just around the corner. Come by when you're ready. First coffee's on the house."

Ivy nodded, murmured thanks, and headed toward the inn she had booked for the next month. It wasn't much-a creaky bed-and-breakfast with floral wallpaper and an aging receptionist named Dottie-but it offered anonymity. And right now, that was all Ivy needed.

Three days passed. Ivy spent most of it wandering along the beach, avoiding calls from her old life and trying not to think about headlines like PR Queen Crashes and Burns: Carson's Fall From Grace. She didn't need reminders. The betrayal still sizzled fresh in her mind-the stolen client files, the media storm, the carefully orchestrated lies that pinned the blame on her.

And Julian Roth's smug face as she walked out of the office for the last time.

By the fourth morning, she found herself outside the Lighthouse Café. It was warm and full of the comforting scent of fresh pastries. The woman from before-Maggie-greeted her like an old friend.

"Coffee or cocoa?"

"Coffee," Ivy said, accepting the steaming cup. "Thanks. I'm Ivy, by the way."

"Maggie. You staying long?"

"I don't know yet. I needed... a break."

Maggie didn't press. "Well, if you're looking for work, the bookstore next door could use help. Owner's nice, but terrible with computers."

Ivy's heart fluttered at the thought of doing something-anything-that didn't involve crisis control, press releases, or backstabbing boardroom meetings. She sipped her coffee and nodded.

By the end of the week, Ivy had a job.

Page & Spine Books was dusty, quaint, and smelled like old pages and vanilla. Its owner, Nora, was in her sixties and terrible with anything digital.

"Do you know how to update the website?" she asked after ten minutes.

Ivy smiled. "I built multi-platform campaigns for Fortune 500 companies. I think I can manage a bookstore homepage."

Nora blinked. "Well, all right then."

The days settled into rhythm. Ivy woke to the sound of gulls, walked to the shop, helped customers, and slowly began to breathe again. It wasn't glamorous. It wasn't high-paying. But it was peaceful.

And then he walked in.

The bell above the door jingled one stormy afternoon as thunder rolled over the sea. Ivy looked up from the counter to see a man step inside, rain dripping from the collar of his tailored coat. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and had the kind of presence that turned silence electric.

"Good afternoon," she offered politely.

He didn't respond immediately. His eyes scanned the room, taking in the shelves, the faded wallpaper, and finally, her. Something flickered across his face-surprise, perhaps. Or recognition. But she was sure they'd never met.

He approached slowly, fingers brushing over the spines of a row of business books.

"You're not from here," he said, his voice low and controlled.

"Neither are you," she replied.

A hint of amusement ghosted his lips. "Touché."