The rain fell in steady whispers over the city, blurring the skyline into muted silver shadows. Inside the thirty-third floor of De León Enterprises, a man stood in silence before a wide glass window, untouched by the beauty of the storm outside.
Alexander De León.
CEO. Billionaire. Widower. Father. And still, after twenty-two years, a man haunted by love and loss.
He looked down at the mug of untouched coffee in his hand. Another restless night. Another dream of her—his wife, Solana—her smile, her voice, the way she whispered his name before fading into the void.
She was eighteen when she died. Barely a woman, gone too soon—cancer that spread too fast, too cruel. She had given him twins, Aiden and Aria, but paid the price with her life.
Now they were both 23—older than she had ever been.
He set the mug down as Jacob entered the office. "Your 10 AM schedule is set, sir. Also, the new hires for the creative department will be oriented this afternoon."
Alexander gave a short nod, barely listening.
Elsewhere in the building, a young woman stood with a clipboard clutched to her chest, waiting for the elevator. Her name tag read "Elira Caelum – Creative Department." Her heart pounded, not because it was her first day—but because fate had finally led her here. To him.
Him.
The man she had once loved with all her heart.
Her husband.
Her soulmate.
Now a stranger who didn't believe a word she'd said the first time they met two years ago.
She had tracked him down back then, boldly confessing, "I'm Solana... your wife. I died and came back."
He had stared at her in cold disbelief before walking away without a word.
She never approached him again. Not directly.
But she studied. She waited.
And now? She was here—right under his nose. Not to convince him. Just to stay close.
Elira stepped into the elevator and whispered softly, "This time... even if you don't believe me, I'll still love you."
---
The orientation was brief. Elira barely registered the rules and the HR head's dull voice. All her senses sharpened the moment she was told that she would be working closely with the marketing division—under the CEO's direct approval for the new luxury campaign.
When she entered the upper floor, her breath caught.
There he was. Taller than she remembered. Sharper. A little older, yes—but still achingly handsome in that cold, distant way. He was speaking to someone, his brows furrowed.
Elira's heart skipped.
Even after all this time, even after being reborn... it still hurt how much she missed him.
He glanced her way.
Their eyes met.
She smiled softly.
Alexander blinked. Something stirred in his chest, and he immediately looked away.
---
Later that day, in the company lounge, Elira sat with her bubbly new friend, Yssa.
"So… Elira," Yssa leaned in like she'd discovered a juicy secret, "why do you look like you've just seen a ghost when you saw the CEO?"
Elira smiled faintly. "Because... I have."
Yssa laughed. "Ohh, you've got it bad for the boss! Who wouldn't, though? But that man's a walking ice cube. He's like—CEO of Cold Hearts, Inc."
"I don't want his heart," Elira murmured. "I just want... to stay by his side. That's enough."
Yssa narrowed her eyes. "Girl, you're mysterious. And I like it. Spill someday, okay?"
---
Back in his office, Alexander sat at his desk, flipping through portfolios.
He stopped at one.
A profile photo. Hers.
Elira Caelum. 22 years old.
His fingers froze over the page.
Same smile. Same eyes.
Same name that she once joked about naming their daughter in another life.
"Elira," he murmured.
His heart kicked hard in his chest.
No.
Coincidence. That's all it was.
He shoved the folder aside.
But even as he tried to work, her smile stayed in his mind.
---
That night, at home, Aria plopped down on the couch beside Aiden.
"Dad's acting weird lately."
"He's always weird," Aiden muttered. "He's just a high-functioning robot."
"No, I mean... he looked like he saw a ghost today."
Aiden looked up. "What happened?"
"I don't know. He keeps zoning out. And Jacob said he stared at a resume for five minutes."
Aiden rolled his eyes. "Maybe he finally noticed a hot employee."
Aria laughed. "Wouldn't that be something? Dad finally dating again after two decades."
---
But none of them knew.
Not yet.
That the woman now walking silently through their lives…
Wasn't new at all.
She was love, reborn.
A soul returned.
A promise rewritten by the hands of fate.
---
End of Chapter 1