The café door closed behind him with a soft click, but the man in his late twenties didn't look back. He slipped into the evening air like a shadow that didn't want to be caught. He pulled his jacket tighter, lowering his cap until it hid half his face.
Anyone watching would have missed him instantly; he looked too ordinary, too forgettable.
But his mind… His mind was racing. Because tonight, he had something explosive. He checked his surroundings once, twice… then took out his phone and dialled a number with trembling precision.
The call connected. "I have news," he whispered. A pause. Then he nodded to himself.
"Yes… real news, not gossip." His voice sharpened, the tone of a man who knew the weight of what he was carrying.
"Mr Kai Arden… has finalised a script." Even saying it felt unreal.
Kai Arden, the man who had built his entire reputation on action, thriller, and prestige films
Kai Arden, the man who never touched romance dramas and whenever the press asked, "When are you doing romance?" He always replied dismissively: "I haven't found a script worth my time." And now…
"Yeah," the man whispered, pacing slowly near the wall. "It's romance. I'm sure. I heard Ryan talking to him."
His eyes shifted back toward the cafe windows. Inside, he could still see the table. Just minutes ago, he had been sitting right behind Kai, only one thin wooden panel separating their seats. Back to back. Close enough to hear every breath, every pause. And close enough to hear that one sentence Ryan said:
"Shall I tell the director you finalised the script?"
A script no one knew existed. A script Kai had hidden from the whole industry. The man continued on the phone, voice urgent:
"This is huge. Kai Arden has finally picked a story, and not just any story, a romance script he's been secretly searching for." He closed his eyes, recalling Kai's tone. Kai tried to act like he didn't know what Ryan meant. But the man heard the slip. The hesitation. The crack in Kai's cold mask.
"Kai Arden doesn't hesitate unless it's true," he said softly. He listened to the voice on the other end.
"No. He didn't notice me. No one notices someone sitting quietly behind them." A small smirk tugged at his lips.
"And Kai Arden was too distracted." He leaned against the wall, lowering his voice even more.
"Run the headline quietly first, but keep my name out of it." The person on the other side spoke again.
"No. He must NEVER find out Kai Arden hates leaks more than he hates bad scripts. If he knows I heard it… I'm done."
He hung up. For a moment, he breathed out heavily, realising the gravity of what he had just done. This was the kind of news that could turn the industry upside down because Kai Arden's involvement in romance was more shocking than a scandal.
He stared at the darkened glass door of the café one last time at the place where a guarded, unreadable man had unknowingly revealed a secret he'd never meant to share. A secret that was now already on its way to the media. A secret that could shake everything.
Alina pushed her door open with a shaky hand, stepping into the silence of her house.
Her legs felt weak, her heart still heavy from the accident. For a moment, she stood there letting the quiet press against her chest like a weight. She walked inside slowly.
The broken phone lay on the tea table. The screen shattered like spiderweb cracks… small pieces of glass still glittering under the soft living room light. She froze. Her throat tightened.
Her eyes burned. She sat on the sofa, staring at it. Staring at the lifeless black piece
Her chest began to tremble before she could stop herself. She pulled her knees closer, her elbows resting on them as she pressed her palms to her forehead. And she cried.
Tears spilled freely, slipping between her fingers, falling onto her clothes. Everything felt like it was crumbling. Life… dreams… peace… everything was dropping out of her control.
Why was everything going wrong? Why did everything hurt? She cried harder, shoulders shaking silently in the empty room.
Then....Buzzzzzzz
The sudden ring of the bell made her flinch. Her breath hitched. She quickly wiped her face with her sleeves, trying to erase every trace of tears. Her eyes were still red, but she stood and walked to the door anyway. She opened it.
A delivery guy stood at the entrance, holding a glossy gift bag. "Miss Alina Carter?" he asked politely.
Alina blinked. "Yes… It's me."
"Congratulations, ma'am!" His face brightened with a professional smile. "You've won this week's Golden Lucky Draw Coupon from CityMart Lifestyle Store. This gift is for you."
"Huh?" Alina frowned, confused, "But… I never—"
But the man was already stepping back. "Enjoy your gift, ma'am! Have a good day!"
Before she could ask anything else, he turned and walked away, leaving her speechless at the doorway. She slowly closed the door, still confused, still holding the bag.
A lucky draw? From where? How? She didn't remember participating in anything. She looked at the bag again. A soft pink ribbon, neat packaging… It felt expensive. Too expensive for a random, lucky thing.
But her curiosity finally won. She sat on the sofa again, took a deep breath, and gently opened the bag. Inside… wrapped in black velvet paper… was a box. A phone box.
Her heart jumped. "What…?" she whispered, barely believing her eyes.
Her fingers shook as she lifted it out. The packaging was brand new, untouched, sealed. She swallowed hard. No way… No way this could be real…
She slowly peeled off the seal and opened the box. And there it was, a brand new phone.
Shiny. Perfect. Beautiful. A breath escaped her lips… half a laugh, half a sob.
"Oh my God…" she whispered. She touched it gently, as if afraid it would disappear. Warmth filled her chest, relief so strong it almost hurt. She looked at her broken phone on the table,
and then back at the new one in her hands.
It felt unreal. Just hours ago, she was standing on the road, crying, helpless, staring at the broken pieces of her old phone… And now… She hugged the box to her chest, eyes closing as tears slipped out, but this time, they were tears of gratitude.
She laughed softly through her tears. "Thank you… thank you… whoever sent this…" she whispered.
She didn't know how lucky draws worked. She didn't know why her name was selected. She didn't know why this timing was so perfect that it almost felt magical. All she knew was Today, for the first time in days, something went right. She sat there for long minutes, holding the phone close, letting the relief sink into her bones. Outside, the evening wind moved quietly. Inside, for a little while… Alina finally felt okay.
The little bell above the café door rang softly as Alina stepped inside. Warm lights, the smell of roasted coffee beans, and soft indie music welcomed her with the familiar comfort she needed after the disaster of the morning.
Maya's café was always cozy: wooden tables, fairy lights, plants everywhere, and the soft buzz of people typing on laptops. Alina slipped inside with a small smile. Maya looked up from behind the counter and immediately frowned.
"Alina," she said, placing a hand on her hip, "where have you been hiding?
Alina let out a tired laugh and walked toward her. "Long story," she said.
Maya squinted at her. "You look stressed… Wait—your eyes are red. Did you cry?"
Alina shook her head quickly. "No, no. Just tired."
"Lie more convincingly next time," Maya muttered. Then she grabbed Alina's arm. "Come sit. I will make hot chocolate for you."
They sat at their usual corner table near the window. Maya placed two mugs in front of them and finally relaxed.
"So?" Maya asked, sipping her latte. "Explain" Before Alina could speak, Maya's eyes suddenly dropped to the table.
"Uh… Alina… whose phone is that?" Alina froze. Her new phone lay there beside her mug, shiny and perfect looking, nothing like the shattered one Maya had seen days before.
"This isn't your old phone," Maya said, eyes narrowing. "Where is the cracked screen? The tape? The trauma?"
Alina sighed and told her everything. From the near-accident… to the phone slipping… breaking… to the unexpected ring at the door… to the "lucky coupon" she mysteriously won… and the brand new phone inside the gift bag.
Maya listened with wide eyes, slowly leaning forward. When Alina finished, she shrugged lightly.
"I guess I got lucky," Alina said. "Who even wins phone coupons? But yeah…"
But Maya didn't respond. She slowly picked up the phone with both hands carefully, almost fearfully, like she was holding a rare diamond.
"Maya?" Alina asked, confused. "What are you doing? It's just a phone..."
"JUST a phone?" Maya snapped. "JUST A PHONE?"
Alina blinked. "What?"
"Alina… how much do you think this phone costs?" Maya asked, voice strangely serious.
Alina shrugged, smiling innocently. "Um… It's nice, maybe two hundred dollars? Three hundred? Lucky coupons don't give expensive stuff."