The rain had been falling all morning, soaking the streets in silver. Olivia pulled her coat tighter around her, the hem brushing her knees as she hurried along the crowded sidewalk. She wasn't late for work—she never was—but the cold wind stung against her cheeks, and she longed for the warmth of the tiny café across the street.
It was supposed to be an ordinary Monday. A forgettable one.
Until she saw him.
He stood beside a black car so polished it mirrored the world like glass. A tall figure in a charcoal suit, broad shoulders cutting a sharp silhouette against the misty city skyline. The crowd seemed to part around him without even knowing why.
Olivia's gaze flickered up, just for a second, and then froze.
Eyes like winter—gray, cold, and far too intense—locked with hers from across the street. She felt her breath catch, as though the world had drawn in a silent gasp.
She didn't know his name.
She didn't know why her heart was racing.
But something about that stranger's gaze held her there, unmoving, until a horn blared and the spell broke.
Olivia looked away, forcing herself to keep walking. She didn't see the way his lips curved—almost a smirk—as if he'd just discovered something worth chasing.
Somehow, she knew she hadn't seen the last of him.