Adrian didn't go straight home after leaving the café.
Instead, he sat in the back of his car for a while, watching people walk by on the sidewalk.
His driver turned slightly.
"Sir, are we heading back to the office?"
Adrian didn't answer right away.
He wasn't used to this—this strange pull he felt toward someone he barely knew.
"Yes," he said finally, but his voice was softer than usual.
The driver nodded and pulled into traffic.
Adrian leaned his head back.
He didn't like being distracted.
But he couldn't lie to himself—Aria was different.
She didn't want anything from him.
She didn't even know who he really was.
She just… helped. And talked to him like he was a normal man, not a CEO with a famous name.
That alone made her impossible to ignore.
At the café, Aria tried to keep working, but her thoughts were too loud.
She wiped down tables, served customers, and smiled when she needed to—but inside, she was replaying every moment from earlier.
The way he watched her quietly.
The small smile he gave before leaving.
The calmness in his voice.
Nina caught her staring at the door for the third time.
"Aria," she whispered, leaning in, "you like him."
Aria frowned. "I don't even know him."
"Yeah, but you want to," Nina teased.
Aria sighed, cheeks warm. "I just… feel something. But it's too soon to call it anything."
Nina shrugged. "Feelings don't ask for permission. They just happen."
Aria didn't respond, but she knew Nina was right.
Something had changed in her.
Something small, but real.
Across the city, Adrian entered his office.
His assistant walked in with a stack of papers.
"Sir, the board wants to confirm tomorrow's meeting—"
"Move it," he said quietly.
She blinked. "Move… a board meeting?"
"Yes."
She didn't question him again.
Adrian loosened his tie, something he rarely did at work.
He stepped toward the window, looking at the grey sky.
He tried to focus on his tasks, but his mind kept going back to her voice.
Her smile.
Her courage.
He wasn't used to losing control of his thoughts.
He wasn't used to wanting to see someone again so badly.
Later that evening, Aria walked home slowly.
The sun was setting, turning the sky orange.
She hugged her jacket tighter and breathed in the cool air.
She didn't know that someone was watching her from across the street.
A man leaned against a lamppost, phone pressed to his ear.
"Yes… I saw her," he said quietly.
"No, he talked to her again."
A pause.
"Don't worry. I'll keep an eye on her."
He hung up.
His eyes followed Aria as she walked.
She didn't notice him.
She had no idea that her life had just stepped into something deeper than she expected.