Conrad Montague wasn’t supposed to be here.
If someone had told him that he’d spend his afternoon sitting in a corner booth of a small café, sipping a black coffee while overhearing a conversation he had absolutely no business listening to, he would have laughed in their face.
Yet, here he was.
And at the center of the commotion?
Eurydice Santiago.
The café wasn’t Conrad’s usual choice. His assistant, Daniel Wright, had set up a meeting with a client, but an unexpected delay left him waiting with nothing to do—something Conrad hated.
So, instead of returning to the Montague Hotel, he decided to stay and observe.
The place was charming, if a little unremarkable—the kind of cozy café that didn’t cater to high society but had a warmth to it that big-name establishments lacked. He wouldn’t have given it much thought if it weren’t for the voice that caught his attention.
A voice he recognized immediately.
Eurydice Santiago.
The woman who had stained his suit, invaded his thoughts, and somehow managed to escape his usual irritation.
He hadn’t seen her since the gala. Hadn’t expected to see her again, either.
And yet, there she was, sitting near the window, looking thoroughly exasperated.
Opposite her sat a man Conrad didn’t recognize—but already disliked.
From his seat, Conrad had no intention of eavesdropping. He wasn’t that kind of man.
But then, the conversation unfolded.
And it was impossible to ignore.
“So,” the man—who introduced himself as Jacob Langford III—said with an overconfident smirk. “Tell me about yourself. I mean, I already know you’re lucky to be here with me, but I’ll let you talk anyway.”
Conrad’s fingers paused around his coffee cup.
Did he hear that right?
Across the table, Eurydice nearly choked on her drink.
“Excuse me?” she said, blinking at him.
Jacob smirked. “I mean, not to sound cocky—”
Too late, Conrad thought dryly.
“—but I’m not exactly the easiest guy to get a date with.”
There was silence, followed by the sharpest, most unimpressed expression from Eurydice.
Conrad took a slow sip of his coffee, already intrigued.
Conrad hadn’t been paying full attention before, but now?
Now, he was invested.
It was entirely unintentional—but watching Eurydice try (and fail) to hold back her sarcasm while Jacob prattled on about his “exclusive lifestyle” was unexpectedly… amusing.
Jacob bragged about his family’s wealth, his endless vacations, his “superior connections”—all while completely ignoring Eurydice’s obvious disinterest.
By the time the conversation reached its inevitable worst point, Conrad was already anticipating her reaction.
“Well,” Jacob said, adjusting his already perfect cufflinks. “I could help you find a real job. Something stable. Or, honestly? You wouldn’t even need to work. I could take care of everything.”
Eurydice’s expression went flat.
Conrad’s eyebrow arched slightly.
There was a beat of silence.
Then, in a voice so sickeningly sweet it was almost threatening, Eurydice smiled. “Jacob?”
Jacob smirked, clearly believing he had won something. “Yes?”
She leaned forward slightly.
“I don’t need to marry rich to be happy.”
There was a pause.
Then—
Jacob scoffed. “Who even said anything about marriage?!”
Eurydice shrugged, standing up and slinging her bag over her shoulder. “Oh, I don’t know. But considering you think being with you is the best investment a woman could make, I figured I’d shut that down early.”
Jacob’s mouth fell open. “Wait, are you—”
“I’d say this was fun,” she added, “but honestly? I’d rather go back in time and relive the moment I spilled wine on Conrad Montague.”
And with that, she walked out, leaving Jacob sitting there—stunned, offended, and most importantly, alone.
Conrad sat back in his seat, a smirk barely hidden behind his coffee cup.
Interesting.
Eurydice had no idea he was here.
No idea that he had just heard the entire disaster of a date unfold.
And most of all?
No idea that she had just casually mentioned him as a preferable alternative to Jacob Langford III.
Conrad Montague. The man whose presence usually intimidated people. The man whose name was spoken with careful respect—or fear.
And yet, Eurydice Santiago had joked about him.
Casually.
Without hesitation.
It was… unexpected.
Amusing, even.
Conrad finished his coffee, setting the cup down with deliberate ease.
As he reached for his phone, he considered leaving things as they were. Let her go. Let this encounter remain purely coincidental.
But then, as he watched her disappear through the café doors—head held high, expression one of complete exasperation—he found himself curious.
And if there was one thing Conrad Montague had never been good at ignoring?
It was curiosity.
With a slight smirk, he pulled up his contacts.
“Daniel,” he said when the call connected.
“Yes, sir?”
“I want you to find out everything you can about a woman named Eurydice Santiago.”
A brief pause. “Understood. May I ask why?”
Conrad glanced at the empty seat Eurydice had just occupied.
Then, with a glint of amusement in his eyes, he simply said—
“Because I have a feeling this won’t be the last time I see her.”