Morning crept in slowly, pouring its pale light through the blinds and spreading across the bed in quiet stripes. Naya blinked awake, her body still sore from the tension of the night before. She reached for her phone, half expecting a message from Liam.
Nothing.
She sat up and glanced at the untouched side of the bed.
He hadn't come back.
Her chest tightened, but she didn't let herself linger in the feeling. She unlocked her phone and dialed him. The line rang. No answer. She tried again. Same thing.
She lowered the phone and stared at the wall for a few seconds, empty and numb. She wasn't even surprised. Just tired.
Eventually, she forced herself up. She moved through her routine like a shadow—shower, dress, pack her bag. Nothing about her morning felt like her own anymore. She tied her hair into a loose bun and gave herself a quick glance in the mirror.
Presentable. Not okay. But presentable.
As she locked up and made her way down the quiet hallway of her building, her mind replayed the call. No answer. No text. No sign of him. She wondered if he would ever stop making her feel invisible.
Her heels tapped softly against the floor as she rounded a corner toward the stairwell.
Then she felt it.
A breeze. A presence. And a scent.
It passed her like a whisper, something clean, warm, and subtle, but distinct. It wasn't Liam's heavy cologne. This was different. Softer. She didn't know why it made her stop, but she did.
She turned, just slightly.
A man had just walked by. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Confident stride. He didn't speak or glance her way, but the scent lingered in the air behind him.
She caught herself and turned back around, brushing the moment off. There was no time for distractions. She had a job to get to and a silence at home that was becoming louder by the day.
She didn't know who he was.
She didn't know that his apartment was directly across from hers.
And she didn't know that when she turned around, just that brief moment, he had noticed her too.
Adrian had caught her movement from the corner of his eye. He hadn't meant to look, but something about the way she paused… it stayed with him for a second longer than he expected.
He didn't say anything.
Just kept walking.
And so did she.
Two strangers crossing paths in silence, neither knowing how much their lives were about to change.
She didn't look back. She couldn't.
Whatever had passed between her and that quiet cologne wasn't important enough to stop her day.
She pushed through the building doors and made her way to the parking lot, already thinking of how late she might be. Her heels clicked against the pavement, purposeful but hurried. She pulled her bag strap tighter over her shoulder, fishing around for her car keys. But when she got to her usual spot, she froze.
Empty.
Her car was gone.
She blinked once. Then again.
A bitter realization slid into place, Liam had taken it. Again.
She let out a humorless laugh. Of course. He had a copy of the keys. After that argument last night, he probably stormed off with the car to prove some childish point. He had done it before, just not recently. She had hoped it meant he was changing. That maybe he was growing up. Clearly not.
Naya stood there for a moment, the morning sun already warming her skin. Her throat tightened with the kind of tiredness that didn't come from lack of sleep but from carrying too much for too long.
She pulled out her phone and checked the time. No chance of booking a ride now, too expensive during peak. She sighed and turned toward the bus stop.
---
The bus was crowded, of course. Her pressed suit was already wrinkling at the seams from being jostled against strangers. She held onto the railing and tried to focus on her breathing, not the loud conversations or the persistent buzz of the city outside.
By the time she got off, her ankles ached and the dull throb in her temple had returned. She made her way into the office building, pushing through the revolving doors, head low, hoping no one saw her come in.
She slipped into her seat just in time, pretending she'd been there all along. Her desk was as she left it, organized, clean, reliable. Unlike the rest of her life.
Naya worked as a brand strategist at Evercrest Solutions, a reputable marketing and consulting firm known for their clean campaigns and high-end clientele. She wasn't just good at her job, she was excellent. Everyone knew it. Including her boss.
Just as she reached for her mouse and tried to ease into the morning, her office phone buzzed.
"Naya Ellison, to Ms. Caldwell's office."
She closed her eyes briefly. Great.
---
Ms. Florence Caldwell wasn't just her boss, she was the kind of woman who didn't raise her voice, but somehow still made people nervous. Elegant, sharp, and brutally efficient. But she liked Naya. Had always said she saw something of herself in her.
Naya stepped into the glass-walled office and closed the door gently behind her.
Florence looked up from her monitor and smiled, the type that only touched one side of her face. "I'd ask if you're okay, but I know you're not one to bring your personal life to work."
Naya managed a soft chuckle. "Just a rough morning. I'm here now."
"That's what matters." Florence leaned back in her seat and folded her hands. "I've got something for you."
Naya stood straighter.
"You're being assigned to a new project. A joint campaign with Merigold Industries. They've partnered with us for a six-month rollout, and they've requested someone with your track record."
Her brows rose. "Merigold? The tech company?"
Florence nodded. "Their new product line is pivoting into lifestyle branding. You'll be working closely with their internal creative team. I expect it to be challenging, but rewarding."
Naya blinked, the weight of the morning starting to shift into something else, anticipation, maybe. Or distraction. Either way, it was welcome.
"When do I start?"
Florence's smile grew just a little. "Tomorrow. And Naya?"
"Yes?"
"Leave the rough mornings at home. This is big."
Naya nodded. "Understood."
She left the office with a straight back and calm expression, but inside, her thoughts were spinning. A new project. A new challenge. Maybe, just maybe, a breath of fresh air.