When Donovan came home that evening, he handed me a folder. I froze when I saw the title on the first page: Restaurant Development Proposal. 'I spoke to a few friends in the restaurant business at lunch. This is a plan based on their collective experie- nce," he said. "It's rare for you to want something like this. Study it. If you have any questions, you can come to me anytime." I clutched the folder and nodded dumbly. Mumbling an excuse about wanting to read it right away, I hurried back to the bedroom. I found my recipe notebook hidden under the bed, flipped to the back, and wrote under yesterday's entry: 4/7 13.53 13:54 M Chapter 1 August 28th: So he's shown you kindness. That means the person you once loved had some good in him. But that's all. There are a million other sights to see, a million other meals to taste. Learn to love yourself. Put yourself first. Closing the notebook, I felt the frantic beating of my heart finally begin to slow. The reason I'd fallen for Tiff- any's lies so easily in my last life was simple: I had already fallen in love with Donovan long before. Falling for your benefactor is the cardinal sin in our line of work. But I couldn't control it. To keep him from finding out and getting rid of me, I had to suppress it, to act indifferent. But emotions are like that; the more you push them down, the more powerfully they spring back. So when someone told me that Donovan treated me differently than other women, that he might actually have feelings for me, I gambled everything. I dropp ed the mask and never put it back on. By the time I opened the proposal, my heart was completely calm. Combining the advice from the restaurant owner with the detailed contents of Donovan's plan, a clear vision for my restaurant began to form in my mind. After noting down a few points I didn't understand, I went to find Donovan in his study to have them clarified Seeing that I had genuine questions, he raised an eyebrow. "So, you're serious about this? I'm impressed by the effort." I just smiled and didn't say anything, diligently taking notes as he explained the complexities of payroll and supply chains. 'Do you have any thoughts on the location and concept for the restaurant?" he asked as I was about to eave. After a moment's thought, I decided to share what I'd learned from the restaurant owner. "There's a coffee shop on Waverly Place that's up for sale, only been open for three months. It's right near a major shopping street and two universities. The foot traffic is incredible. I was planning to go look at it tomorrow. If it checks out, I want to open my restaurant there." Donovan looked at me, a flicker of curiosity in his eyes. "You seem to be in a hurry." I was. The process from site selection to design and renovation was a long one. If I went through the entire process from scratch, my restaurant wouldn't be open by the end of the year. I'd heard about this coffee shop. The decor was modern and appealed to a younger crowd, perfectly matching my target demographic. If the owner's family hadn't run into a sudden financial crisis, they wouldn't be selling so quickly. If I could take over the lease, I would only need to change the layout, which would save an enormous amount of time. I needed to get as much done as possible before Camilla came back. That way, even if Donovan's help disa- ppeared, I'd be in a much better position. But obviously, I couldn't tell him that. "It's not easy to find a space that fits on every level," I said. "When you find one, you have to act fast." Hearing this, Donovan nodded in agreement. "I'll have Arthur go with you tomorrow. If you like it, we'll lock it 5/7 13:54 13:54 Chapter 1 down. Don't worry about the price. It's not often you ask for anything. Consider the shop a gift from me." I certainly wasn't going to refuse. Arthur was incredibly competent. With his help, everything from price negotiation to signing the contract: was done in half a day. From that moment on, I poured nearly every ounce of my energy into my restaurant. Though I was happy with the coffee shop's existing design, some changes were necessary to meet the nee ds of a full-service restaurant. Arthur recommended a rising-star interior designer, and by the time she ha the new blueprints ready, the construction crew Arthur had sourced was already on standby. I was leaving before dawn and coming home long after dark. For over two weeks, I barely exchanged more than a few words with Donovan. Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!