Amara Eze tightened her grip on the stack of drawings pressed against her chest as she stepped into
the glass building that housed Hale Architects. Her heart drummed a little too loudly—first-day nerves
mixing with excitement. This was the opportunity she had worked years for.
The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime. She stepped out, breathing in the quiet hum of
productivity. People typed softly, papers shuffled, footsteps echoed in confident rhythms.
She followed the directions the HR lady had given her, but her eyes were too busy trying to soak
everything in. Tall windows. Clean desks. Walls decorated with breathtaking conceptual designs.
And then she turned a corner—too fast.
Her shoulder collided with someone solid. Her sketch papers flew like startled birds across the hallway.
"Oh my God—I'm so sorry!" she gasped, dropping to her knees.
A pair of polished shoes stopped in front of her. She froze. Then slowly, she looked up.
Deep, unreadable eyes stared back at her. Calm. Cold. Striking. Adrian Hale.
The Adrian Hale.
He crouched beside her without a word, gathering the scattered papers. His movements were precise,
deliberate—almost too gentle for a man with a reputation for being unapproachable.
Their fingers brushed.
Amara's breath hitched. Adrian's hand paused—for just a second—before he continued collecting the
drawings.
"You're new," he said quietly.
His voice surprised her. Low. Smooth. Steady.
"Yes—Amara. Amara Eze," she managed, tucking hair behind her ear.
He stood and handed her the stack. "Careful next time."
No anger. No annoyance. Just… controlled softness. He turned and walked away, leaving her staring
after him.
A coworker rushed over. "You bumped into him? On your first day? Wow."
Amara blinked. "Is he always like that?"
"No. Usually worse."
But Amara wasn't convinced. She replayed the brief touch of his hand, the flicker of something in his eyes.
For a moment—just a moment—she had seen loneliness. Or maybe she imagined it Either way, her first day had already changed something.
She just didn't know how much.