Diamond Tears | Book 2 of The Champagne Chronicles

S I X - Heat of the Moment

The streets of Nice were as lively as always, the warm Mediterranean breeze gently ruffling the leaves on the trees lining the sidewalks. Daphne walked down the familiar streets, headed toward one of her favorite boutiques. But today was different. She was meeting Chantal, someone she hadn't seen in ages—not since before everything in her life had changed.

As Daphne stepped inside the boutique, the faint smell of lavender hit her, and she immediately spotted Chantal by the racks of dresses. Chantal hadn't changed a bit. The moment she saw Daphne, her face lit up with a big smile.

"Daph! Look at you! It's been way too long," Chantal said, pulling Daphne into a tight hug.

Daphne smiled, feeling a rush of warmth. "I know! It feels like forever. You've been all over the world with Remy, haven't you?"

Chantal nodded, her eyes gleaming. "Non-stop. This season's been insane—one country after another. But Remy's race is in Monaco this weekend, so I finally get a bit of a break."

They began browsing through the racks, the easy conversation flowing as they caught up on everything that had happened since they last saw each other. For Daphne, it hadn't been long since she was in Nice—after all, she lived and worked here now. But reconnecting with Chantal brought back memories of her life before she walked away from the family.

"So, how's life?" Chantal asked, turning to her with a raised eyebrow. "I heard you've been working at a café and studying. How's that going?"

Daphne hesitated for a moment, her fingers tracing the fabric of a pair of jeans she was considering. "It's... different. I'm managing. Working at Café Lumière has been great, but balancing school, rent, and all the bills—well, it's not easy."

Chantal gave her a sympathetic smile. "I can imagine. But look at you, doing it all on your own. I'm proud of you."

Daphne chuckled, lifting the jeans. "You know, I've never owned a pair of these before? My grandfather never allowed me to wear pants. Only skirts and dresses." She laughed at the absurdity of it all. "I guess I'm finally rebelling."

Chantal's eyes widened. "How did you survive?"

Daphne shrugged, feeling a little sheepish. "I don't know. It's weird, but it's also kind of liberating to do things my way now."

As they continued to browse, the conversation turned to more serious matters. Chantal had been busy with Remy's Formula 1 schedule, but the tension surrounding Evian Grimaldi's disappearance still hung over them.

"What do you make of Evian going missing?" Chantal asked quietly, her voice dropping as they moved toward the back of the boutique. "There's something strange going on, don't you think?"

Daphne nodded slowly. "I don't know what to think. I've been so out of touch with that world, but it feels off. Everything about it feels wrong."

Chantal sighed, her expression serious. "No one talks about it openly, but everyone's speculating. There's definitely more going on beneath the surface."

The conversation left a heavy weight in the air, but before they could go further into the subject, Daphne picked up a few more items and headed to the counter. When she reached for her wallet, she realized she didn't have enough money to cover everything. She frowned, counting the bills and coins in her hand.

"I think I'm going to have to put something back," Daphne said with a tight smile, feeling a flush of embarrassment.

Before she could make a decision, Chantal stepped forward, handing her credit card to the cashier. "Don't even think about it. It's my treat."