Chapter 28 Veyra And Caspian
The café was tucked between a bookstore and a flower shop.
Veyra saw it through the car window as the convoy pulled up. The sign said Savina in gold letters. The windows were large and clean. Inside, she could see wooden tables and leather chairs and a counter with a display case full of pastries.
"This is it," she said to Lily.
Lily pressed her face against the glass. "It looks fancy."
"Maybe because it looks normal."
"For you, maybe. I’ve never been to a café before."
Veyra looked at her. "Never?"
Lily shook her head. "Great-Grandmother says the world is dangerous. She doesn’t like me going out."
Veyra understood. The Thorne family was wealthy. Wealthy families had enemies. Wealthy families had reasons to keep their children close.
"Well," Veyra said, "today you’re going to a café. And tomorrow, who knows? Maybe an ice cream shop."
Lily’s eyes went wide. "Really?"
"Really."
The bodyguard opened the door. Veyra stepped out. Lily followed. Two bodyguards flanked them. The others stayed with the cars.
Veyra pushed open the café door. A bell chimed.
Dr. Harrison was already there. He sat at a table in the corner, a cup of tea in front of him, his folder on the chair beside him. He stood up when he saw her.
"Mrs. Thorne," he said. "And who is this young lady?"
"This is Lily," Veyra said. "My husband’s niece."
Lily smiled shyly. "Hello."
Dr. Harrison smiled back. "Hello, Lily. Would you like a hot chocolate?"
Lily looked at Veyra. Veyra nodded.
"Yes, please," Lily said.
Dr. Harrison flagged down a server. He ordered a hot chocolate for Lily and a coffee for Veyra. Veyra sat down across from him. Lily sat beside her, swinging her legs.
"Thank you for coming," Dr. Harrison said. "I know this has been a difficult few days."
"That’s one way to put it."
He smiled. "I’ve been thinking about your formula. About what it could mean for the medical community. For patients. For families."
Veyra nodded.
"I want to help you," he said. "But I need to know what you want. Your terms. Your conditions. Don’t hesitate. Tell me exactly what you’re thinking."
Veyra took a breath.
She had been thinking about this since she hung up the phone. What did she want? What did she really want?
Not money. She had learned that money came with strings. That money could be taken away. That money could buy diamonds and villas and Chanel clutches, but it could not buy peace.
She wanted something else.
"There’s a university," she said. "A medical university. It’s one of the best in the country."
Dr. Harrison nodded. "I know it."
"I was supposed to go there." Her voice was quiet. "I got in. I had the grades. The test scores. The letters of recommendation."
"What happened?"
"My mother got sick." She paused. "I dropped out before I even started. I took care of her instead. And then she died. And then I got married. And then I spent seven years being someone I wasn’t."
The words hung in the air.
"I want to go back," she said. "I want to study medicine. Properly. With teachers and textbooks and exams. I want a degree. I want the credentials that everyone keeps telling me I don’t have."
Dr. Harrison was quiet.
"I know I don’t need a degree to make medicine," she said. "I’ve proven that. But I want one anyway. I want to learn. I want to be better. I want to help more people. And I can’t do that if no one takes me seriously."
She looked at him.
"That’s my condition. Help me get into that university. Help me get the education I was supposed to have. And the licensing rights are yours."
Dr. Harrison said nothing.
"I mean it," she said. "Even if you can’t help me. Even if the university says no. I’ll still give you the rights. I’ll still let you license the formula. Because it’s the right thing to do. Because it will save lives."
She paused.
"But if you can help me. If you can open that door for me. I will spend the rest of my life making medicines that help people. Better medicines. Stronger medicines. Medicines that no one else can make."
Dr. Harrison leaned back in his chair. He looked at her for a long moment.
"You’re serious," he said.
"I’ve never been more serious about anything in my life."
He smiled. "Then I’ll make some calls."
Dr. Harrison pulled out his phone.
He stepped away from the table. His voice was low. Veyra could not hear what he was saying. She watched him pace back and forth by the window, his free hand gesturing.
Lily tugged on her sleeve. "Did you really make that medicine?"
"Yes."
"All by yourself?"
"All by myself."
Lily’s eyes were wide. "That’s amazing. I can’t even make toast without burning it."
Veyra laughed. "Toast is hard."
"No, it’s not. You put bread in a toaster and you push a button."
"And somehow you still burn it?"
Lily nodded. "Every time."
Veyra laughed again. It felt good to laugh. It felt normal.
Dr. Harrison came back to the table. He sat down. His face was serious, but his eyes were bright.
"The dean is an old friend," he said. "He owes me a favor. Several favors, actually." He paused. "He’s willing to meet with you. Next week. To discuss your admission."
Veyra’s heart jumped. "Next week?"
"If you’re ready."
"I’m ready."
Dr. Harrison nodded. "Good. Then we’ll proceed."
He reached into his folder and pulled out a piece of paper. He slid it across the table.
"This is a preliminary agreement," he said. "It outlines the basic terms of the licensing deal. Read it over. Take your time. Think about what you want beyond the admission."
"Beyond?"
"Money. Royalties. Control over distribution. There are a lot of factors to consider." He stood up. "I don’t want you to rush. This is a big decision."
Veyra looked at the paper. The words blurred together. She could not focus.
"Take a few days," Dr. Harrison said. "Think about it. Then call me."
He picked up his folder. He nodded at Lily. "It was a pleasure to meet you, young lady."
Lily smiled. "You too."
Dr. Harrison walked to the door. The bell chimed. He was gone.
Veyra stared at the paper in her hands.
She was still staring at it when the door chimed again.
She looked up.
And her blood went cold.
Caspian stood in the doorway.
He was wearing a suit. An expensive one. Dark gray. Perfectly tailored. His hair was styled. His shoes were polished. He looked like the cover of a magazine.
Everyone in the café turned to look at him.
He was that type of man. The type who commanded attention just by walking into a room.
But Veyra knew what was underneath the suit. The lies. The betrayals. The mother he had let die. The money he had spent on another woman.
Caspian’s eyes found hers. He smiled.
"Veyra," he said. "There you are."
He walked toward her. His steps were slow. Confident. He pulled out the chair across from her and sat down.
"I’ve been looking for you everywhere," he said.
Lily looked at Veyra. "Who is this?"
"No one," Veyra said. "He’s no one."
Caspian’s smile did not waver. "That hurts, baby. After everything we’ve been through?"
Veyra’s hands were shaking. She pressed them flat against the table.
"What do you want, Caspian?"
"I want you to come home." He leaned forward. His voice was low. Intimate. "I miss you. I haven’t slept in days. I keep reaching for you in bed and you’re not there."
She said nothing.
"I know I made mistakes," he said. "I know I hurt you. But I’m trying to be better. For you. For us."
"You let my mother die."
"I was scared." His voice cracked. Perfectly. "I was scared of losing you. I made a terrible decision. I’ve regretted it every day since."
Lily was staring at him. Her hot chocolate sat untouched.
"I’ve been looking for you," Caspian said. "But my mother is sick. She needs me. I’ve been taking care of her. That’s why it took me so long to find you."
Veyra almost laughed.
"Your mother," she said slowly, "is perfectly fine."
Caspian’s smile flickered. "What?"
"Your mother. She’s fine. I’ve been staying at the estate. The same estate where your mother lives. I’ve seen her every day. She’s not sick. She’s not dying. She’s been playing mahjong with her friends and complaining about the servants."
Caspian’s face went pale.
"Every time you used that excuse," Veyra said, "every time you said you couldn’t see me because your mother needed you—it was a lie. Wasn’t it?"
He did not answer.
"Wasn’t it?" Her voice was louder now. People were staring.
"Veyra, let me explain—"
"You were with her." Veyra’s voice was cold. "Every time. You were with Xiomara. While I sat at home, waiting for you, believing your lies."
Caspian reached across the table. His hand touched hers.
She pulled away.
"Come home," he said. "Please. I’ll do anything. I’ll give you anything. Just come home."
She looked at him. At the man she had married. At the man she had loved. At the man who had destroyed her life and was now sitting in a café, wearing a perfect suit, asking her to come back.
"Caspian," she said.
"Yes, baby?"
She leaned forward. Her voice was quiet. Deadly.
"Do you really think I still love you?"