The rain had no mercy that evening. It soaked through Kayla's thin sweater as she ran across the street, clutching her backpack to her chest.
Elura was loud beautiful and cruel all at once, the kind of city that swallowed girls like her whole if they weren't careful.
A black Benz sped past, splashing black oil from the tarred road over her.
"Hey" she screamed, but the car didn't stop
Fuming, Kayla picked up a stone and dashed through the side buildings. When she reached the T-junction, she waited. The car appeared again, headlights slicing through the rain.
She threw the stone and it broke the side mirror of the car.
The driver hits the brake, stepping out in anger "Are you crazy? Do you know how much this cat costs?" He shouted at her
"You just ruined my dress, Mister", she shot back, folding her arms "I think I should be the one asking you why you were speeding in an area like this?"
"You're going to jail for this" he barked "look at the damage you've caused!"
"It's pretty obvious you're not the owner" she said, squinting at the tinted windows. "Your boss should be the one apologizing for his employee's mistake"
"Do you even know who's inside that car?"
"Does it look like I care?"
He took a threatening step forward "I'll make sure to teach you a lesson, you'll…"
"Get back into the car I don't have time for this"
His voice came from inside–deep, smooth and calm– like Velvet wrapped in rain.
Kayla froze. Even the driver hesitated before obeying, climbing back into the Benz and driving off into the storm.
"Sh*t… he ran off," she whispered once she found her voice again. Looking down at her ruined dress, she clicked her tongue. "He just ruined my day."
Frustrated, she ran her hand through her wet hair and continued walking in the rain, helpless and cold.
She opened the door and walked into the convenience store, her shoe squelching with every step, the chill biting her skin.
Kayla slipped behind the counter, dripping wet.
"Sorry I'm a bit late, I missed the bus" she said, dropping her backpack on the floor
"So you ran in the rain?" a voice teased from the corner. It was Brooke. Her best friend and coworker.
Kayla sighed " you could say the universe is against me. I ran into a rude jerk– he ruined my dress and drove off like I was invisible"
"he ruined it real bad" Brooke said, turning to her "Why don't you just rest for the day? You'll end up with a fever"
"Thankfully not yet–" Kayla sneezed before finishing
Brooke stared at her "I know you better than you think. Get up and go home, I'll fill in for you today"
She picked up Kayla's bag and handed it over, but Kayla's phone buzzed before she could leave.
"Hold on a second," Kayla answered quickly."I'm so sorry, Sir, for the delay, can you give me a little more time?"
The call ended before she could say more.
"Who was that?" Brooke asked
"The landlord. My rent's been due for like 2 months"
"I thought you paid it off already with last month's salary "
"I wanted to" kayla sighed "but I had to pay for part of the cello and used the rest for mum's hospital bill"
"The cello? Can't it wait? Do you want to be homeless?" Brooke's eyes filled with concern
"That's my dream, Brooke, the Cello." she murmured softly
Brooke didn't reply. Kayla's dream was dangerous– and in Elura, dreams like that came with a price.
"How's your mum feeling?" Brooke asked after a moment, changing the topic.
"I wish she could get better", Kayla said quietly.
"She'll be fine, Aunty's is a strong lady" Brooke said, squeezing her shoulder
"What can I do without you, Brooke?" Kayla smiled faintly
"What you can do for me now is go home" Brooke said pushing her gently
"I want to stay," Kayla protested.
Brooke pinched her cheek. "Then you can help me out".
Kayla laughed "At your service ma'am"
***
Logan's POV
***
I leaned back against the seat, eyes half-closed, watching as a faint rainbow stretched across the gray sky.
"What a lovely sight to behold," I whispered to myself.
The car door opened, and I stepped out, adjusting my suit jacket. The long drive was finally over.
"Make sure you get the car fixed before evening," I said, my tone calm but firm.
"Yes, sir."
"The chairwoman must not hear a word about what happened."
I cleared my throat and straightened my tie before walking into the tall glass building in front of me.
"Good morning, sir," came the voices from both sides as I walked in. Employees bowed slightly, but I kept my gaze straight ahead, not in the mood for pleasantries.
"Bring me the contract file from the Zurich branch," I said as soon as I entered my office. "And the new sketches for the Celestia Collection. Also, the report from Legal about the gemstone dispute."
"Yes, sir," my secretary replied, quickly gathering the files.
A few minutes later, she walked in, carefully setting the documents on my desk. But as she turned to leave, her elbow brushed against a glass of water, sending it crashing to the floor.
"Oh my!" she gasped, covering her mouth in shock.
"I'm so sorry, sir!"
Her hands trembled as she spoke.
"It's fine," I said, my voice even. "Call the cleaner to take care of it."
I walked toward the window, looking out at the city skyline. The sound of rain still echoed faintly against the glass.
But my mind was elsewhere — drifting back to the girl I had met just moments ago in the storm.
The one with fire in her eyes and defiance in her voice.
"Why couldn't I get her voice out of my head?" I whispered