Enchanted : Caffè Del Re
Prologue
The morning was colder than usual. Clouds hung low over the city, the kind that made everything feel slower. Dante hated delays.
His usual café was closed. Temporary maintenance, the sign said. He stared at it for a second longer than necessary before walking off without a word, coat shifting around him like a storm.
He didn’t like changing routine. But he needed coffee. Now.
A small shop caught his eye two streets over. Quiet. Warm lights. A place he would’ve never glanced at on a normal day.
It smelled like cinnamon and vanilla. Wood. Sugar. Time felt different here. Softer. Slower.
Behind the counter, someone turned around.
Shorter. Pale. Freckled. Brown hair falling into kind amber eyes. He wore a cardigan. He smiled.
He didn’t believe in fate. Or love at first sight.
This story might look dark at first, but loneliness finds love..behind a counter of at a café. Thank you for giving these two a chance — I hope their journey feels a little like coming home.
1
The office air was thick with tension. Another call dropped. Another idiot report thrown onto the desk. Dante didn’t even look up as his voice cut across the room.
Dante Vittorio Moretti
“Fix it. I don’t care how.”
Someone muttered an apology. Another hand trembled as it slid a folder closer to him. His fingers tapped against the desk once, sharp and rhythm-less. Patience wasn’t in him today.
His suit jacket rested on the back of his chair, sleeves rolled up, cufflinks undone. The inside of his chest burned like it always did on mornings like this. The need for control. The need for silence. The need for his coffee.
Across the city, Emilio was humming.
The café was quiet, warm. Morning light spilled through the windows in soft gold streaks. A couple sat by the window sharing a muffin. The espresso machine whirred gently behind him.
He adjusted the row of small glass jars by the counter, cinnamon, nutmeg, cocoa. He liked things neat. He liked how the morning felt slow here. Safe. He didn’t know many places that felt like this.
A soft voice came from behind him.
Rosa
“Looks like it’s going to be a peaceful day,” Rosa said, pulling her apron over her head. She was an older omega who helped a few days a week. “No storm clouds yet.”
Emilio smiled as he poured two shots of espresso, watching the crema settle. He didn’t believe in jinxes.
In the back of a black car, Dante Romano leaned back in his seat, jaw tight.
Dante Vittorio Moretti
“Where the hell is he?” he snapped.
His driver, glanced up in the rearview mirror.
Unknown
“Your assistant’s already at the office, sir. Said he’d meet you there.”
Dante exhaled through his nose, checking the time. Traffic was slow. His coffee still hadn’t arrived.
Unknown
His driver hesitated. “And your regular café? Closed today. Plumbing issue.”
Dante said nothing. Just stared out the window, eyes narrowing. A pulsing heat lit behind his eyes.
Coffee. He needed coffee.
As the car turned a corner, something caught his eye.
A small place. Brick outside, quiet lighting. No lines. No noise. A name hand-painted on the glass.
Dante Vittorio Moretti
“There. Pull over.”
Unknown
His driver blinked. “You want me to go in?”
Dante was already opening the door.
Dante Vittorio Moretti
“I’ll do it myself.”
The café door swung open with a quiet chime, soft music drifting through the space. It smelled like sugar and something warm he couldn’t name.
Dante stepped inside. And paused.
And someone was standing behind the counter, back turned, humming to themselves.
Lmk if you like it and I’ll try my best to get the next chapter up! Thank you 💗
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