18 parts Ongoing MatureValeria Shaw was supposed to be living a quiet life.
An ex-assassin trained by one of the world's most brutal syndicates, she's traded her past for a café apron and a second chance at normal.
To her staff and customers, she's calm, witty, unshakable - just another woman brewing coffee and smiling at strangers.
But old instincts don't die easy.
Especially when danger finds her again... wearing a familiar face.
When Val steps in to protect her employee Jess from threats tied to a dark global network called Silence, she knows it'll cost her more than peace of mind - it'll cost her the fragile life she's built.
The secrets she's buried are clawing their way back to the surface, and even the people she trusts most could get caught in the crossfire.
Including Ruben Kaiser - the sharp-eyed, smooth-talking customer who's been pushing past her walls from the moment they met.
What starts as banter brews into something deeper, something reckless - but loving him could be the most dangerous risk Valeria's ever taken.
Because in Valeria's world, trust can be lethal.
And survival means choosing who you're willing to fight for - and who you're willing to lose.
Bitter Grounds is a slow-burn romantic thriller about loyalty, redemption, found family, and the cost of trying to outrun the person you used to be.
Some scars don't stay hidden forever.
![𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 ⟡ Espresso CRK [Book #1] by Crkmsxn](https://img.wattpad.com/cover/314870685-80-k446214.jpg)
![𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 ⟡ Espresso CRK [Book #1] cover](https://img.wattpad.com/cover/314870685-256-k446214.jpg)
