Page 30 of Since You Stole My Heart

Before she could answer, they turned the corner, and she saw it.

The café glowed faintly through the glass door, warm light spilling onto the pavement. A small bell chimed softly as they stepped inside.

Only a few lamps were lit, their glow stretching across the long wooden tables. The place was nearly empty, the air rich with the scent of roasted coffee.

A sleepy barista glanced up from behind the counter.

Swayam ordered his coffee, then turned to her. ‘Mocha latte with hazelnut, right?’

Kashvi blinked. ‘You remember that?’

He raised a brow. ‘I’ve known you for a long time, Kash.’

‘Right. Of course,’ she murmured.

He added her order and carried the cups to a small table by the window overlooking the empty street. The steady hum of the coffee machine filled the silence as they settled across from each other.

She glanced around the spacious café once more before looking back at Swayam, who leaned back in his chair with easy comfort.

‘So, you never finished answering my question,’ he prompted.

Kashvi frowned, then nodded as the conversation came back to her. ‘About the money? I’ve made a list of organisations so I can expand and bring them under the foundation. With the money I get, I will be able to fund over sixty organisations. You don’t know how long I’ve waited for this.’

The quiet conviction in her voice made Swayam smile. ‘How long have you been working with your family foundation?’

‘Maa ran it, and we used to spend summer vacations helping with community programmes when I was younger. After she passed away, Dad kept it active on paper because it funded a chunk of the business, but he didn’t care about her work. I went back as a volunteer and then joined full-time.’

‘So how long have you been planning to change the world?’ Swayam teased.

Kashvi took a sip of her coffee, avoiding his gaze. ‘Just trying to do some good.’

Swayam rested one arm against the backrest, watching her. ‘Your cheeks go pink when you talk about things you love. I find that very cute.’

She looked away, shaking her head. ‘Shut up.’

‘Are you sure? I have something to tell you that will make you very happy,’ he asked, dangling the bait.

Her eyes flicked up. ‘What?’

‘I’ve started liking the coffee you keep at home.’

Kashvi stared at him with open disbelief. ‘You’re kidding!’

‘Nope. I’ve been drinking it for the past few nights. The first cup was painful, but by the fourth or fifth, it grew on me.’

She leaned forward, curious. ‘Last time I offered you some, you said it tasted like poison.’

‘That was my first impression. Now I find it tolerable,’ he said with a shrug.

‘Damn it,’ Kashvi huffed. ‘I was on a mission to torture you with that coffee. Now that you like it, it’s no fun anymore.’

Swayam grinned. ‘Much like my personal mission to steal your pendant.’

Her hand flew to the ruby pendant around her neck. He had tried everything to steal it.

Once, he distracted her with a debate about pineapple on pizza until she smacked his hand away from her neck. Another time, he claimed there was an insect on her back and tried tounclasp her chain, only for her to turn suddenly and headbutt him.

‘You have to admit that you made that bet with no plan. You’ve been trying to steal it for weeks and it’s been an epic failure so far. I nearly broke your nose last time,’ she reminded him.