%The encounter%
She was juggling groceries and trying not to trip over the cracked sidewalk when a sleek black car screeched to a stop inches from her. Heart hammering, Lilly stumbled back, sending a bag of oranges rolling across the pavement.
"Watch where you're going!" a deep, controlled voice snapped. She looked up—and froze.
The man standing there was impossibly tall, perfectly dressed, and radiating a presence that made the world around him feel small. His gray eyes locked onto hers, sharp, assessing, and completely unyielding.
"Careless," he said, his tone low but dangerous, as if one wrong move could ruin her life. She opened her mouth to apologize, but no words came out. Every instinct screamed to run, but something in the way he stood confident, untouchable—rooted her to the spot. For first time, Lilly Harper understood what fear felt like… and how utterly powerless she could be in the shadow of someone like Sebastian Kingsley.
"Sorry I was lost in thought" she finally uttered,
"if you're so lost in thought then what are you doing on the streets?" Sabastian snapped back , "or are you looking for someone to end your miserable life?"
He stepped closer, the sound of his polished shoes against the pavement loud in her ears.
"Do you always walk like you own the street?"
His voice was sharp, cutting through the hum of traffic, and she flinched under the weight of it.
"Because right now, you look like someone who couldn't even handle a spilled bag of groceries".
He bent slightly, just enough to grab a stray orange and toss it back on the ground with a flick that was almost careless but the precision of it made her stomach twist.
"I—I'm sorry," she stammered, cheeks burning, trying to straighten herself despite the adrenaline that left her hands trembling.
He studied her, gray eyes like steel, and for a moment, she thought he might walk away. But then he tilted his head, a smirk brushing his lips—not kind, not teasing, just sharp enough to unsettle her.
"Be careful," he said finally, voice low and final,
"or you'll learn the hard way that some streets… aren't for people like you."
And with that, he turned, got into his car, and left her standing there, heart racing, bag half-crushed, and a strange, uneasy pull she didn't understand gripping her chest. It was such a bad day for Lilly as she just lost her job in the early hours of the day and since then has been searching to see if she could get a replacement with no positive results.
"How was your day?" her father inquired softly, his voice gentle with concern.
"Great"
Lilly replied quickly, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. She turned away under the pretense of setting her bag down, blinking rapidly to clear the cloudy tears threatening to fall. She couldn't let him see the weight pressing on her chest, couldn't give him even the slightest impression that something was wrong. For his sake, she swallowed the fear, the hurt, and the exhaustion, and wore strength like a shield she was already too tired to carry.
Just then, her sister walked in, the door creaking softly as it closed behind her. Their father slowly turned his head toward the entrance, his brows knitting together, disappointment and regret clouding his face. His eyes widened, sharp and piercing, as though they might burst from their sockets.
"Where are you coming from?" he asked, his voice low but heavy with unspoken concern.
"I went to see a friend," Vanessa replied casually, dropping her bag on a chair, her tone careless, almost dismissive.
"And you have been out since morning?" their father queried, his gaze never leaving her face, the weight of the question hanging thick in the room as silence stretched between them.
" Why can't you be a little like your sister?"
" Can't you look for something meaningful doing instead of whilling away your time".
" Can't you be a little productive?"
"Let her be,"
Lilly chipped in gently, sensing the tension rising like a storm about to break. She forced a small smile, hoping to soften the moment before it turned into another argument.
"I'll go fix dinner,"
she added quickly, already moving away as if escape were her only option. She headed toward the kitchen, her steps hurried, her shoulders heavy with the familiar need to keep the peace.
"Always trying to play the good daughter,"
Vanessa murmured under her breath, her lips curling into a scoff. She rolled her eyes, shaking her head in quiet irritation before turning away and disappearing into her room, the door closing behind her with a muted thud.
%the next day%
The elevator bell rang softly, and as the doors slid open, Lilly's breath caught in her throat. Standing right in front of her was the man from the previous night the same cold eyes, the same commanding presence. Him. She didn't know his name yet, but she knew the feeling he stirred in her chest.
Sebastian Kingsley stood there, phone pressed to his ear, his attention divided, his aura filling the narrow space like a storm waiting to break.
The moment he lifted his head and his eyes met hers, his expression darkened. He pulled the phone away and barked,
"You. The girl from last night—did you follow me here or what?"
His voice was sharp, accusing, loud enough to draw attention. Lilly's heart pounded as heat rushed to her face. She opened her mouth to defend herself, to explain, but fear glued her tongue in place.
He was about to say more she could see it in the tightening of his jaw—when a woman's voice cut through the tension.
"Hey, honey, why didn't you wait for me?" Ava said brightly as she stepped forward, slipping easily into his space like she belonged there.
Before Lilly could process the sting of the word honey, the elevator doors slid shut between them with a quiet finality. The moment fractured, questions unanswered, emotions unresolved. Sebastian and Ava walked off together toward one corridor, while Lilly stood rooted to the spot, watching them disappear toward their separate offices, her heart racing and her mind spiraling with confusion she couldn't yet name.
Lilly casually walked in the opposite direction, her steps slow and uncertain, her mind still struggling to process everything that had just happened. Her hands trembled slightly as she clutched her bag, the echo of his voice replaying over and over in her head. Shaking off the unease, she approached the front counter and politely asked if there was any vacant space in the office, her voice soft but hopeful.
The receptionist barely looked up before replying sternly that there were no vacant positions available at the moment.
Lilly hesitated, then pleaded, explaining that she desperately needed the job, that she was willing to do anything. Her voice cracked with desperation, drawing curious glances from people passing by. What started as a quiet conversation soon turned into a small commotion at the reception area.
The noise traveled upward.
From his glass-walled office upstairs, the CEO noticed the disturbance. Irritated, he pressed the intercom and summoned his assistant, demanding to know what was happening below. After listening briefly, his expression hardened. The assistant explained that a young woman was refusing to leave despite being told repeatedly that there were no openings available.
Annoyed, he walked toward the glass railing and looked down. And then he saw her.
The same figure from earlier. The same face that had unsettled him more than he cared to admit.
His jaw tightened. "Call security," he ordered coldly. "Have her thrown out. She's causing a nuisance."
Yet even after the lobby returned to its usual silence, his mind refused to follow. Throughout the entire day, he found himself staring at documents without reading a word, numbers blurring together as flashes of her face invaded his thoughts again and again. Her frightened eyes. Her trembling hands. The way she had stood her ground despite everything.
By the time evening came and he was being driven home, his frustration had shifted into something far more dangerous—curiosity. He leaned back in his seat and turned to his assistant.
"Find out everything you can about the girl from earlier today," he said quietly, his tone firm.
"I want her full information on my desk by tomorrow morning."
%At home%
Can I borrow your red gown tomorrow? I have an elite party to attend with my friends," Vanessa said casually from across the dinner table, her tone light, almost bored, as she scrolled through her phone.
Lilly slowly raised her head, surprise flickering across her tired features. She studied her sister for a moment before speaking, her voice calm but heavy with unspoken frustration.
"Vanessa, there's so much going on in this house right now," she said quietly. "And all you can think about is going to a party?"
Her eyes looked pale and worn, dark circles betraying nights of little sleep and a heart stretched too thin. The exhaustion from the earlier incident still clung to her, weighing her down as she stared at her plate, wondering how responsibility had fallen so completely on her shoulders—while Vanessa worried only about borrowed gowns and fleeting pleasures.
"It's just a party" said Vanessa and besides I have nothing doing
"That is the problem fired Lilly it's high time you find something doing" I don't even have a job currently, this whole thing is just too much. Her voice calm and hot tears welled up and spilled over, blurring her vision as they burned their way down her cheeks, her eyes clouded with pain, shock, and everything she couldn't bring herself to say.
"Well, no one asked you to assume that responsibility—so don't put it on me," Vanessa snapped coldly, folding her arms as if the matter was that simple.
"Every single thing you did was solely your choice. You're always trying so hard to prove yourself, acting like some kind of hero," she added with a scoff, her words sharp and careless, each one cutting deeper than the last.
Lilly's chest tightened as the weight of it all crashed down on her. The sacrifices, the sleepless nights, the quiet pain she never spoke about—none of it mattered. She could feel the tears burning behind her eyes, her vision blurring as her lips trembled. Unable to endure another second, she pushed herself to her feet, choking back a sob, and fled to her room. The door closed behind her as she finally broke down, her silent cries filling the space she had been trying so hard to hold together.