SOPHIA:
Julian blocked my office door with his arms crossed and his I'm-about-to-ruin-your-day expression.
"Don't go to dinner with him," he said.
I didn't look up from my sketches. "Good morning to you too."
"I'm serious, Sophia. Something's wrong with Drake Harrington."
My pencil stopped moving. I'd been trying not to think about Drake all morning. Trying not to remember how his hand felt on my waist or the way he looked at me like I mattered. Trying not to check my phone every five minutes waiting for his text.
"He's a successful businessman who asked me to dinner," I said. "That's not suspicious."
"His interest came out of nowhere." Julian walked into my office and dropped a file on my desk. "I ran a background check. Drake Harrington, thirty-five, CEO of Harrington Industries. Built his company in fifteen years, worth billions, ruthlessly competitive in business. Zero romantic history in the media. No relationships, no dates, nothing."
"Maybe he's private."
"Or maybe he's hiding something." Julian tapped the file. "My contacts say he's been asking questions about Castillo Designs for months. About your finances, your suppliers, your contracts. That was before he ever approached you at the gala."
My stomach twisted. "People ask about successful companies all the time. It doesn't mean anything."
"It means his interest isn't random." Julian's voice was gentle but firm. "Sophia, you're brilliant at design but terrible at seeing when people want to use you. This guy researched you for months, then shows up at the exact right moment with the exact right words. That's not coincidence."
Heat rushed to my face. I hated when Julian was right.
"So what do you want me to do?" I asked. "Cancel the dinner because he did basic research? You do background checks on everyone I meet."
"That's different. I'm protecting you."
"Maybe he wanted to know about me before asking me out. Maybe he's careful like I should be." I stood up, gathering my sketches. "I'm going to dinner, Julian. You can either trust my judgment or not, but I'm done discussing this."
"I do trust your judgment. I don't trust him."
"Then trust that I can handle myself."
Julian sighed, running a hand over his face. "Fine. But I'm tracking your location. And if anything feels wrong, you call me immediately."
"You're paranoid."
"I'm careful. There's a difference."
He left my office but the file stayed on my desk. I tried to ignore it. Tried to focus on the new collection designs. But my eyes kept drifting back to that folder.
Finally I opened it.
Drake's life was laid out in documents and photographs. Boarding school after his father died. Built Harrington Industries from a small tech startup into a massive corporation. Known for aggressive business tactics and hostile takeovers. No criminal record. No scandals. Nothing obviously wrong.
But Julian was right about one thing. Drake had been researching Castillo Designs for months before approaching me.
Why?
My phone buzzed. A text from an unknown number.
"Salvatore's at eight. Can't wait to see you again."
My heart did that stupid fluttering thing. I saved his number before I could talk myself out of it.
This was probably a terrible idea. Julian's warnings made sense. But I'd been alone so long, been strong and careful and responsible for so many years. Didn't I deserve one night of feeling wanted?
I texted back. "See you there."
Salvatore's was hidden on a side street in Brooklyn, the kind of place only locals knew about. Small tables with candles, brick walls, the smell of garlic and fresh bread. No photographers. No people who'd recognize me.
Perfect.
Drake was already there when I arrived. He stood when he saw me, and something in my chest warmed at the old-fashioned gesture.
"You found it," he said.
"Your directions were good." I sat down, suddenly nervous. This felt different than the gala. More real. More dangerous.
"I wasn't sure you'd come," Drake admitted. "Thought you might change your mind."
"I almost did."
"What changed it?"
Honesty spilled out before I could stop it. "I'm tired of being careful. Tired of saying no to everything that might be good because it might also be bad."
Something flickered in Drake's eyes. Guilt? Regret? It disappeared too fast to tell.
"I'm glad you took the risk," he said quietly.
Dinner started safe. We talked about the restaurant, the food, harmless things. But Drake kept asking questions that went deeper. About my design process. My inspirations. What made me fall in love with jewelry.
"My father," I said finally. "He was a craftsman. Used to let me sit in his workshop for hours, watching him transform raw stones into something beautiful. He said jewelry tells stories that words can't."
"He sounds like an artist."
"He was. And a terrible businessman, which is why Uncle Marcus had to help run the company." The words tasted bitter. "After my parents died, Marcus made sure I knew I was lucky he tolerated me. That without him, I'd have nothing."
Drake's jaw tightened. "How old were you?"
"Sixteen."
"That's too young to lose everything."
The sympathy in his voice cracked something open inside me. I never talked about this. Never let people see how much it still hurt. But Drake was looking at me like my pain actually mattered, and the words kept coming.
"There was a factory fire," I said. "My parents were inspecting the new equipment they'd just bought. Something went wrong and the whole building went up. By the time firefighters got there, it was too late."
I touched my necklace without thinking, the habit I couldn't break.
"I'm sorry," Drake said, and he sounded like he meant it. "That's a devastating loss."
"It destroyed me for a while. But then I realized the best way to honor them was to build something they'd be proud of. So I threw myself into learning the business. Worked eighteen hour days. Proved I deserved the Castillo name."
"You shouldn't have to prove you deserve your own name."
The observation hit me hard. Nobody had ever said that before.
Drake reached across the table and took my hand. The touch sent electricity shooting through my entire body. His fingers were warm, strong, gentle.
"You've survived things that would break most people," he said. "Built an empire while grieving. That takes incredible strength."
Tears burned behind my eyes. I blinked them back.
"Why are you being so nice to me?" I whispered.
Drake's expression changed. Something conflicted and raw crossed his face.
"Because you deserve kindness," he said finally. "And I think you haven't had enough of it."
We talked for hours. About everything. His father dying when he was twenty, leaving him with a company on the edge of bankruptcy. Building Harrington Industries through sheer determination. Being lonely at the top because success made everyone want something from you.
I understood that feeling too well.
The restaurant staff started cleaning around us. I checked my phone and gasped. Almost midnight.
"I should go," I said reluctantly.
"I'll walk you out."
Outside, the streetlights cast everything in gold. Manhattan hummed around us but this side street felt separate from the world. Private.
Drake walked close enough that our arms brushed. Every point of contact sent sparks through me.
"Thank you for tonight," I said. "For listening. For making me feel like I wasn't alone."
"You're not alone, Sophia."
He stopped under a streetlight, turning to face me. His storm-gray eyes were intense, searching mine for something.
"I should kiss you," he said quietly. "But I want to make sure you want that too."
My heart hammered. Every warning Julian gave me echoed in my head. This was too fast. Too intense. I didn't really know this man.
But standing here with Drake looking at me like I was precious, I didn't care about being careful anymore.
"Yes," I breathed. "I want that."
Drake pulled me close and kissed me.
The world disappeared. There was only his mouth on mine, his hands in my hair, the heat spreading through my entire body. He kissed me like I was air and he'd been drowning. I kissed back like I could pour every lonely night into this moment and make it mean something.
When we broke apart, we were both breathing hard.
"That was dangerous," I whispered.
"I know." Drake's voice was rough. "But I can't seem to stay away from you."
He kissed me again, deeper this time. I melted into him, knowing this was reckless and stupid and probably going to break my heart.
But right now, wrapped in Drake's arms with his lips on mine, I didn't care about consequences.
I just wanted more.