(Arianna gets a phone call from her best friend, Isla Martins)

Arianna's phone vibrated again and again. She stared at the screen like it personally offended her.

Isla is on the line. She exhaled sharply and finally answered.

"Hello Is..."

"Bitch"

Arianna winced, pulling the phone slightly away from her ear.

"I have tried reaching out to you the whole damn time but you are not picking up!! What the f*CK is wrong with you?"

"Isla..." Arianna groaned, rubbing her temple. "I am so sorry, it's been a lot"

"Oh a lot" Isla scoffed loudly. "I called you ten good times last night. You didn't pick, didn't respond, let alone opening my messages. Do you know how worried I was ? In fact I was one step away into filing a report about a missing person"

Arianna Chuckled.

"Now you're laughing. You should thank your ancestors that I got your damn back...you always get to do this when you're drunk, now tell me, were you ?"

Arianna closed her eyes. On the other side of the line, Isla gasped drastically.

"I should have said you were with Liam but you both chose to part ways six months ago"

Arianna did not answer, which was enough.

"You got me worried, girl"

"I'm very sorry I did. Can we go on a date in the evening after work so for a way of showing I truly mean it ?"

"Hey bitch, you got me with this one" Isla laughed out loud so hard that she could not control herself. "Okayyyy sure, where?"

"Timobal Cafe"

"Okay, see you soon and please take care of yourself, respond to my texts and do not keep me worried"

"I got you, best friend"

The line went off.

***

(At the office)

Arianna stared at the phone for a long moment before lowering it slowly onto her desk. The office noise crept back into her awareness, keyboards tapping, distant printers humming, muted conversations flowing through glass walls but her mind was elsewhere.

Last night, on the note, on the way his voice had wrapped around her name like a claim.

She shook her head sharply and forced herself back into work mode. Meetings blurred into emails, numbers into signatures. Twice she caught herself staring into nothing, replaying flashes she had no business replaying in broad daylight.

By the time five o'clock arrived, her composure was hanging by a thin thread. She packed up quickly, ignoring the curious glance from one of her coworkers, and stepped out into the evening air.

The city was alive, headlights glowing, traffic building, people spilling onto sidewalks in tailored suits and expensive perfume.

Arianna inhaled deeply, she needed this, she needed Isla.

***

(Timobal Cafe– 6:18 PM)

The cafe buzzed with soft indie music and the low murmur of evening conversations. Warm golden lights hung from the ceiling, reflecting off polished wood tables. It was intimate without being suffocating, their usual spot whenever life demanded debriefing.

Arianna spotted Isla immediately. Isla Martin was impossible to miss. Curly hair bouncing around her shoulders, bold red lipstick, oversized sunglasses perched dramatically on her head despite the fact that they were indoors. She was scrolling through her phone with exaggerated impatience.

The moment she looked up and saw Arianna, her expression shifted.

"Oh, you survived."Arianna rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress her smile. Isla stood up immediately and pulled her into a tight hug.

The kind that squeezed stress out of bones.

"You scared me," Isla muttered into her shoulder.

"I know."

They pulled apart slightly, hands still on each other's arms.

"You look different," Isla narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

Arianna stiffened. "Different how?"

"Glowy."

Arianna scoffed. "Shut up."

Isla gasped dramatically. "You're glowing. Oh my God. It happened."

They sat. A waiter approached, and Isla ordered her usual caramel latte while Arianna requested a glass of water first. She needed clarity before caffeine. Isla leaned forward across the table.

"Start talking."

Arianna exhaled slowly. "It wasn't planned."

"Obviously."

"It wasn't even supposed to happen."

"And yet..." Isla rolled her eyes.

Arianna looked down at her hands. "He came back."

Isla's brows shot up. "Back where?"

"To work of course" she let out almost impertinently

Isla blinked. "Wait. The lounge guy?"

"Yes."

"The tall, brooding, corporate villain?"

"Yes, Isla."

"And he just... appeared?"

"He's a client."

Isla slapped the table softly. "No way."

"Yes way."

"And?"

Arianna swallowed. "And we've seen each other twice since then."

"Twice?" Isla leaned back dramatically. "In two days? Oh, he is not wasting time."

Arianna hesitated. Isla's eyes widened.

"You slept with him."

Silence page in between them. Isla placed her hands over her mouth.

Arianna finally met her gaze.

"Yes."

Isla's reaction was immediate, she squealed so loudly that a couple at the next table turned to stare.

"ISLA," Arianna hissed."Sorry! Sorry." She leaned in, lowering her voice. "Okay details, Arianna. I need details."

Arianna hesitated again, but this was Isla. There had never been secrets between them, not really.

"It was intense," she admitted softly.

"How intense?"

Arianna's gaze drifted somewhere distant.

"He doesn't rush, he studies, he watches. Even before he touches you, you feel like he already has."

Isla swallowed. "And?"

"And when he does..." Arianna paused, searching for words that wouldn't sound like surrender. "It's not careless, It's deliberate and controlled."

"Dominant?"

Arianna's silence confirmed it. Isla leaned back slowly.

"Oh."

A slow grin spread across her face.

"Ohhh."

"It's not funny."

"I'm not laughing. I'm impressed."

Arianna scoffed but couldn't hide the faint smile tugging at her lips.

"You remember Liam?" Isla asked gently.

Arianna stiffened slightly at the name. "Yes."

"You gave that man everything, loyalty, patience, therapy sessions and what did he give you back?"

Arianna didn't answer. Isla did.

"Stress, anxiety, gaslighting."

Arianna's jaw tightened.

"And now," Isla continued softly, "the universe sends you someone who actually wants you. Who shows up. Who pursues you."

Arianna exhaled shakily. "Or someone who's playing a game."

"Is he?"

"I don't know."

Isla studied her carefully. "Do you feel played?"

Arianna thought about the note. -–I will see you again. Wear the memory of last night like a warning-.

Her stomach tightened. "I feel... wanted."

Isla smiled softly.

"Then maybe that's not a bad thing."

They sat in comfortable silence for a moment, the weight of that admission settling between them.

The cafe door chimed. A subtle shift rippled through the room.

Arianna felt it before she saw him. Her spine straightened instinctively. Her pulse changed rhythm. She didn't want to look. She did anyway.

Damien Hart stood near the entrance. Dark coat over his shoulders and crisp white shirt beneath. That same controlled posture, that same quiet dominance that didn't need volume to command attention.

Isla followed Arianna's line of sight.

"Oh," she whispered.

"Oh."

Damien's gaze found Arianna instantly. Not scanning, not searching but direct and certain and then he walked toward them.

Each step is unhurried but intentional.

Arianna's mind raced.

How the hell did he know she was here?

She hadn't told him. She hadn't posted anything, her phone had been her phone.

He stopped at their table. "Good evening."

His voice was smooth and steady.

Isla blinked twice while Arianna recovered first.

"How did you know I was here?"

Damien's eyes flickered briefly with amusement.

"It's nothing you have to be worried about."

Isla and Arianna exchanged a look.

"That's not an answer," Arianna said carefully

.

Damien slid his hands into his coat pockets.

"I had business nearby."

"That's convenient."

His gaze softened but only slightly.

"I was hoping to see you."

The air thickened. Isla looked between them like she was watching a live drama unfold.

"And you just walk into random cafes hoping to find me?" Arianna challenged.

Damien leaned slightly closer. "You underestimate how observant I am."

Isla cleared her throat loudly. "Hi. I'm Isla."

Damien's attention shifted smoothly.

"Damien Hart."

They shook hands. Isla studied him boldly.

"You look exactly how she described."

Arianna choked. "ISLA."

Damien's brow lifted slightly. "And how did she describe me?"

Isla smiled sweetly. "Intense."

Arianna kicked her lightly under the table.

Damien's gaze returned to Arianna, something darker flickering there.

"I see."

A waiter approached awkwardly, asking if Damien would like to order something.

"Black coffee," he replied without looking away from Arianna.

Of course. They sat in a triangle of tension.

Isla leaned back casually, clearly enjoying herself.

"So," she said brightly, "how do you two know each other?"

"A lounge," Damien answered calmly.

"A project," Arianna corrected simultaneously.

Damien smirked faintly. "Both are true."

Isla's eyes sparkled. "I like him," she announced.

Arianna stared at her in disbelief. "You just met him."

"And?"

Damien's coffee arrived. He took a slow sip.

"You were worried about her," he said to Isla suddenly.

Isla blinked. "Yes?"

"You don't have to be."

Something about the way he said it wasn't dismissive but protective, firm and certain.

Isla studied him carefully.

"Good," she said finally. "Because if she cries, I bite."

Damien's lips twitched faintly. "Understood."

The conversation flowed after that, lighter and easier. Damien asked Isla about her work, while he listened attentively. He didn't dominate the space the way Arianna expected him to.

But every so often, his hand would brush lightly against Arianna's on the table, subtle and claiming.

By the time Isla excused herself to take a phone call outside, Arianna turned to him fully.

"You're following me."

"No, You just happen to appear everywhere?" He leaned closer. "I told you I would see you again."

Her breath caught. "That wasn't an invitation."

"No," he agreed softly. "It was a promise."

Arianna's pulse thundered in her ears.

"Damien..."

"I'm not playing with you, Arianna."

His voice dropped, stripped of teasing.

"You think this is a coincidence ,it's not."

"Then what is it?"

He held her gaze steadily. "Interest."

Isla returned just then, cutting the moment.

"Well," she said, glancing between them, "this is either the beginning of a love story or a psychological thriller."

Damien smiled faintly. "Perhaps both."

Arianna exhaled slowly and deep down, beneath the attraction and the thrill and the danger, she realized something terrifying.

She wasn't afraid of him showing up, she was afraid of wanting him to.

CHAPTER 7: CLOSE ENOUGH TO BURN

The night air outside Timobal Cafe was cooler than Arianna expected.

For a moment, the city noise wrapped around them, distant horns, low chatter from other cafés, heels clicking against pavement. The golden glow from the café windows spilled onto the sidewalk, but beyond that light, the street felt quieter.

Isla hugged Arianna once more before stepping back. Her eyes flicked between Arianna and Damien with open amusement.

"Well," she said, adjusting her bag over her shoulder, "I'll leave you two to... whatever this is."

Arianna narrowed her eyes. "Isla..."

"Relax," Isla cut in lightly. "I have early work tomorrow. Besides," she added with a grin, "I feel like interrupting would be hazardous for my health."

Damien's lips curved faintly."I promise I'm harmless."

Isla looked him up and down slowly."That's exactly what dangerous people say."

Arianna groaned. "Please go home."

Isla laughed and leaned in to whisper in Arianna's ear."Text me when you get home."

"I will." Arianna replied.

"And if he kidnaps you, scream loud enough." she teased.

Damien chuckled softly. "I assure you, kidnapping isn't necessary."

Isla shot him a look. "Good answer."

Then she stepped away, waving casually before disappearing into the stream of pedestrians.

Arianna watched her go before turning back to Damien.

For a brief moment, neither of them spoke. The tension from inside the café followed them outside, lingering in the space between them.

"You didn't have to stay," Arianna said finally.

Damien tilted his head slightly. "You sound disappointed."

"I sound realistic." in her response.

His gaze rested on her face a moment longer than necessary.

"You were hoping I would leave?"

Arianna folded her arms. "I was hoping you would stop appearing out of nowhere."

"That seems unlikely."

She sighed. "Why?"

"Because I told you I would see you again."

Arianna shook her head, stepping off the curb toward the parking area. "You keep saying that like it's a valid explanation."

Damien fell into step beside her easily.

It was effortless, the way his stride matched hers.

"That depends," he said calmly. "Did it happen?"

She stopped beside her car and turned toward him."Yes."

"Then my explanation holds."

Arianna stared at him for a long moment before exhaling through her nose. "You're unbelievable."

"So I've been told." Damien smirk.

She reached into her bag for her keys, but before she could unlock the door, Damien spoke again. "Let me drive you home."

Arianna blinked. "What?"

"I'll drive you home." he said again but more careful with his tone.

"I have a car." she replied.

"I noticed."

"Then why would you drive me?"

Damien shrugged lightly. "Because I want to."

"That's not a reason."

"It's the only one I need."

Arianna studied him carefully. "You don't give up easily, do you?"

"No." The answer came without hesitation.

She shook her head with a small laugh.."Fine."

Damien's eyebrow lifted slightly. "Fine?"

"You can walk me to my car."

"That's generous of you." She rolled her eyes but unlocked the door. He opened the passenger side for her before she could protest.

Arianna paused. "You don't have to do that."

"I know." She slid into the seat anyway.

A moment later Damien circled the car and got in beside her. The interior filled with a quiet tension almost immediately.

Arianna started the engine. For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.

Then Damien glanced at her. "You're still thinking about what Isla said."

"No, I'm not." in response.

"You are." he persisted.

She kept her eyes on the road as she pulled out of the parking space. "You're very confident in your assumptions."

"I'm observant."

Arianna glanced at him briefly. "That's what you call it?"

"Yes."

"And what exactly are you observing now?"

Damien leaned back slightly in his seat."You're nervous."

"I'm not."

"You're gripping the steering wheel harder than necessary."

She loosened her hands immediately. "That proves nothing."

He smiled faintly. "It proves I'm paying attention."

Arianna shook her head again. "Are you always this intense?"

"Only when something interests me."

"And I interest you." she asked out of curiosity.

"Yes." The answer was simple. Direct. Too direct.

Arianna swallowed. "That sounds dangerous."

"For who?" he asked.

"For me."

Damien watched her quietly for a moment. "I don't intend to hurt you, Arianna."

She laughed softly.."That's comforting."

"You don't believe me ml?."

"I barely know you."

Damien giggled softly. "But you moaned as loud as I could remember last night.

Her head snapped toward him. "That's low."

"But the truth, princess."

She looked back at the road quickly. "You're very bold for someone sitting in my car."

"You invited me."

"I tolerated you."

"Semantics."

Arianna sighed. "Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"Pursuing me like this."

He turned his head slightly toward her.

"Does it bother you?"

"It confuses me."

"Why?"

"Because you don't know me."

Damien considered that. "I know enough."

"That's impossible."

"You're ambitious," he began calmly. "You work too much. You pretend you're unaffected by things that clearly bother you."

Arianna glanced at him sharply. "You've been studying me."

"Yes."

"That's creepy."

"It's efficient."

She laughed despite herself. "You're unbelievable."

"And yet here you are."

They drove in silence for a few minutes.

The city lights blurred past the windows, neon signs reflecting across the windshield.

Arianna finally spoke again. "You didn't answer my question."

"Which one?"

"Why me?"

Damien didn't answer immediately. Instead, he watched the street ahead."You're different."

"Everyone says that when they don't have a real answer."

He shook his head slightly. "No. I say it because it's true."

She waited. "You don't chase attention," he continued. "You command it without trying."

Arianna felt her stomach tighten slightly."That's flattering."

"It's an observation." she smirked with a form of assurance.

"And you're obsessed with observations."

"I like understanding people."

"And you think you understand me."

"I think I'm beginning to."

Arianna parked outside her apartment building.

The engine went quiet. The silence between them felt heavier now.

She turned toward him slowly. "You know what the problem with that is?"

"What?"

"You might be wrong."

Damien leaned slightly closer. "That's a risk I'm willing to take."

Her breath caught briefly. The space between them suddenly felt smaller. Too small.

Arianna cleared her throat and reached for the door."Thanks for the company."

Before she could step out, Damien's hand touched her wrist lightly. Not tight.

Just enough to stop her. Her pulse jumped immediately.

"Wait." She looked down at his hand before meeting his eyes.

"Yes?"

His voice dropped slightly. "You're running away."

"I'm going inside my apartment."

"Same thing."

Arianna narrowed her eyes. "You're very persistent."

"I told you that already."

He released her wrist slowly. But the warmth of his touch lingered.

"You're thinking too much," he said quietly.

"About what?" she asked.

"About whether this is a good idea."

"And?"

"And you're still here."

Arianna shook her head softly. "You're impossible."

"Yet you keep proving me right."

She opened the car door and stepped out.

Damien followed.

They stood beside the car now, the quiet street illuminated by a single streetlight. For a moment, neither moved.

Then Arianna spoke. "This doesn't change anything."

Damien looked down at her. "What doesn't?"

"This."

He took one step closer. The distance between them disappeared.

"Everything changes."

Her heart began to beat faster. "You're very sure of yourself."

"No," he said softly. "I'm sure of you."

Arianna swallowed. "You barely know me."

Damien leaned slightly closer. Close enough that she could feel his breath.

"I know enough to know I want to keep seeing you."

Her voice came out quieter now. "That sounds like a bad idea."

"Most interesting things are."Arianna held his gaze.

For a moment, neither spoke. The tension stretched between them like a wire ready to snap.

Then Damien stepped back slowly. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Her brow furrowed. "At work."

Arianna blinked. "You're still my client," he added calmly.

She exhaled slowly. "Right."

He turned to leave but paused. "One more thing."

She waited. His gaze flicked over her once more.

"That glow Isla mentioned." Arianna's eyes narrowed.

"Yes?"

"It suits you."

Before she could respond, Damien walked away. And for the second time in two days, Arianna Blake stood frozen on the sidewalk, watching him disappear into the city night.

Only this time, the realization settling in her chest felt even more dangerous. Because now she knew something for certain.

Damien Hart wasn't just interested. He was patient and patient men were the most dangerous of all.

The quiet inside Arianna’s apartment felt different tonight. Not peaceful. Not comforting.

Just… strange.

She closed the door behind her slowly, leaning against it for a second as the faint click of the lock echoed through the room. The soft city lights spilled through the tall windows of her living room, casting long shadows across the polished floor.

For the first time that evening, Damien Hart was not standing somewhere near her and somehow, the absence of his presence felt louder than the noise of the city outside.

Arianna kicked off her heels near the door, rubbing the back of her neck as she walked deeper into the apartment.

Her mind wouldn’t slow down. It kept circling back to him. The way he looked at her, the way his voice always carried that low, dangerous calm and most of all, the way he touched her.

She exhaled sharply and ran a hand through her hair. “Get a grip, Arianna,” she muttered to herself.

But that wasn’t the problem, the problem was that ever since Damien Hart walked into her life, nothing felt simple anymore.

What had started as a strange encounter in a lounge had somehow turned into something else entirely, something heated, something reckless, something that had her heart beating faster in ways she wasn’t prepared for.

She walked into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water, leaning against the counter.

Her reflection stared back at her from the dark window, controlled, elegant and untouchable.

That had always been her. But tonight? Tonight she felt… shaken. Her thoughts drifted back to the last time she had seen him.

The intensity in his eyes. The way he had looked at her like she was something he had already decided belonged to him,a small shiver ran down her spine and then, annoyingly enough, she remembered the night before, the note he had left, the simple handwriting that had somehow stayed in her mind longer than it should have.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” The confidence of it.

As if seeing her again wasn’t a possibility.

As if it was inevitable. Her phone vibrated on the kitchen counter, snapping her out of her thoughts.

She glanced down and rolled her eyes immediately. It is Isla.

Arianna picked up the phone and unlocked it.

“The message read:

Bitch.

I called you like ten times last night and I don't want that happening to you anymore.

Are you alive or did the mysterious tall stranger kidnap you already?”

Arianna snorted softly. Her thumbs moved quickly over the screen.

“Relax, I’m alive.”

Almost immediately the phone buzzed again.

“Wow.

So the queen responds just right on time.”

Another message followed.

“Don’t tell me you were drunk the entire night again.”

Arianna smiled faintly.

“I was not drunk.”

A pause.

Then Isla replied.

“That pause you took before typing says otherwise.”

Arianna shook her head.

“Nothing happened.”

Another pause

.

Then Isla sent a single message.

“Girl.

You are the worst liar I know.”

Arianna laughed quietly under her breath. Sometimes she hated how well Isla knew her.

Another message came through.

“So tell me.

Did the tall dark and intense man behave himself tonight?”

Arianna leaned back against the counter, staring at the screen for a moment. Images from earlier flashed through her mind before she could stop them. Damien standing close to her. His voice low against her ear. That dangerous look in his eyes.

Her stomach tightened. She quickly typed back. “You are dramatic.”

Isla responded instantly. “And you’re avoiding the question.”

Arianna sighed. “He’s just a client.”

Three dots appeared on the screen.

“Then:”

Yeah…And I’m the President of the country.”

Arianna laughed again, shaking her head.

“Go to sleep, Isla.”

We’ll talk tomorrow. A moment later the final reply came.

“Fine.

But if that man breaks your heart I will personally ruin his life.”

Arianna smiled faintly at that.

“Goodnight, Isla.”

“Night, troublemaker.”

The conversation ended. The apartment fell silent again. Arianna placed her phone back on the counter and finished the rest of her water.

Her mind drifted back to Damien one last time before she pushed the thoughts away.

This wasn’t supposed to become something complicated. It was just an attraction. Just chemistry. Nothing more.

She turned off the kitchen light and walked toward the living room. That was when she heard it. A faint sound.

Arianna froze. Her brows pulled together slightly. She stood still for a moment, listening carefully but nothing was coming again.

She exhaled softly..“Probably the wind,” she murmured.

Still, something about the apartment suddenly felt… off.

She walked slowly toward the hallway, her bare feet silent against the wooden floor. The faint light from the living room spilled into the corridor.

Her bedroom door was slightly open. That was strange. She was certain she had closed it before leaving earlier that evening.

A small knot formed in her stomach.

“Arianna,” she whispered to herself, shaking her head lightly. “You’re being paranoid.” Still, she stepped closer.

The air felt colder somehow, then…a shadow moved. Her heart slammed violently against her ribs, before she could react, something strong wrapped around her from behind.

A hand clamped tightly over her mouth.

Arianna gasped, the sound muffled instantly.

Panic exploded through her body.

She struggled hard, twisting against the grip, but the person holding her was stronger.

Much stronger.

“Mm…!”

Her phone slipped from her hand, crashing loudly onto the floor. The screen lit up against the dark hallway.

Arianna kicked backward desperately, trying to break free. The stranger said nothing. Not a single word.

Only a firm, controlled grip..Something cold pressed against her neck. Her movements slowed instantly. Fear crawled down her spine.

The stranger leaned closer. A low voice whispered against her ear.

“Don’t fight.” The voice was calm.

Her stomach twisted with terror. Arianna tried to scream again, but the cloth pressed over her mouth suffocated the sound. Her vision blurred slightly as she struggled to breathe.

The hallway spun..Her strength began to fade.

The last thing she saw before darkness started creeping in was the glow of her fallen phone lighting up the floor.

A new message appeared on the screen.

Damien: I made it home safely, sweetheart.

Then everything went blank.