Chereads / Light and Shadows / Chapter 2 - Echoes of the Past

Chapter 2 - Echoes of the Past

The morning in Lorencia began with an overcast sky, heavy clouds as if the city were about to burst into tears. Evelyn LaMont woke to the sound of insistent drops hitting the window of her apartment. The aroma of coffee filled the air, coming from the automatic coffeemaker she had set the night before.

She sighed as she got up, putting on a cozy robe. The silence in the apartment was comfortable, but also strange. Over the past few years, she had grown accustomed to an environment of constant tension—loud voices, endless arguments, and that feeling of walking on eggshells.

With her coffee in hand, she sat on the small but soft couch and looked out the window. The city was beginning to wake up. Buses passed, people hurried along the sidewalks, and the sounds of city life filled the air.

"This is it," she thought. "A fresh start."

The day at the hospital began like any other. Evelyn arrived early, putting on her white lab coat and pulling her hair up into a bun. There were a pile of charts to review, and patients to see. But deep down, she was still thinking about last week's mystery patient. Matthew Oliver.

Mid-morning, as she was organizing some medications in the storage room, she heard a colleague's voice in the hallway.

"Evelyn, someone's looking for you at the front desk."

She frowned. She hadn't been expecting anyone. She walked up to the front desk, adjusting her lab coat, and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw who was there.

Matthew Oliver.

He was dressed casually, which seemed odd for someone with the stature of a CEO. A dark sweater, jeans, and sunglasses that he took off as soon as he saw her.

"Dr. LaMont."

Evelyn crossed her arms in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

He smiled, a smile that seemed a little rehearsed, but still intriguing.

"I thought I should thank you for taking care of me last week."

"Thank you?" She raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "You don't seem like the type to say thank you for anything."

He shrugged, as if he couldn't deny it.

"Maybe I'm trying to change that."

Evelyn sighed.

"Well, if you're okay, that's all that matters. Now, if you don't mind, I have patients to see."

Before she could leave, Matthew held out a card.

"If you need anything, just call."

Evelyn took the card, looking at it with an unreadable expression.

"Thanks... I guess."

Meanwhile, behind the scenes at Oliver Corp, Matthew was more involved than ever in his side operations. The assassination attempt last week had shaken him more than he cared to admit.

Late that afternoon, he was at an exclusive club on the outskirts of the city. It wasn't a place just anyone would go. The decor was luxurious but understated, and the people who frequented the place knew that it was an environment where shady deals were made.

Marcus, his right-hand man, was waiting at a table in the corner.

"We have information about the attack," Marcus said, handing Matthew an envelope.

He opened the envelope calmly, but his eyes scanned every detail with precision. Photos, reports, names.

"The Alvarezes..." Matthew muttered, mostly to himself.

Marcus nodded.

"They're moving fast. They want to expand and they think you're in the way."

Matthew closed the envelope with a sharp movement.

"Then let's make sure they understand who's really in whose way."

That same night, Evelyn was dragged to a party by some colleagues from the hospital. It was a charity event organized by Lorencia's high society, full of important people and influential businessmen.

"You need to meet new people, Evelyn!" said Clara, a lively nurse with an infectious energy.

The ballroom where the party was being held was dazzling. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, while waiters circulated with trays of champagne and canapés. Evelyn felt out of place, but Clara pulled her from one side to the other, introducing her to people Evelyn knew she would never see again.

That was when she saw Matthew.

He was standing near the bar, talking to a group of men in suits. But as soon as his eyes met hers, he smiled slightly and approached.

"Dr. LaMont, it seems we are destined to meet."

Evelyn laughed nervously.

"Don't tell me you work at the hospital now, too."

Matthew smiled, but didn't respond.

"Are you enjoying the party?"

"It's... interesting." Evelyn shrugged. "It's not exactly my scene."

Matthew looked around, as if he wasn't impressed either. "I agree. But sometimes, that's where we need to be."

Before she could say anything else, Clara appeared out of nowhere.

"Evelyn! Who's your friend?"

Evelyn blushed.

"Oh, this is Matthew... a former patient."

Clara's eyes widened, clearly recognizing the name.

"Matthew Oliver? Wow, what a coincidence!"

Matthew held out his hand to Clara, polite as ever.

"An interesting coincidence, I'd say."

After the party, Evelyn couldn't stop thinking about Matthew. He was intriguing, but also intimidating. There was something about him that she couldn't quite put her finger on, as if he carried an invisible weight.

Matthew, on the other hand, was equally thoughtful. Evelyn was unlike anyone he'd ever met. She didn't seem interested in his wealth or his power. And that made him want to know more about her.

But he knew that his world was no place for someone like Evelyn.

In the end, Matthew receives a message from Marcus.

"The Alvarezes are planning something big. We need to act fast."

He sighs, knowing he has no choice. His world of shadows is always there, pulling him back.

Meanwhile, Evelyn lay in bed, staring at the ceiling and wondering why someone like Matthew Oliver was crossing her path.

Two worlds so different, yet increasingly connected.

The morning began timidly in Lorencia, with the sun struggling to break through the clouds that insisted on hiding its brightness. Evelyn woke up to the sound of her alarm clock, an insistent ringing that echoed through the silent apartment. She reached for the alarm to turn it off and stared at the ceiling for a few seconds, trying to find the energy for another day.

Getting out of bed was already a challenge, but that day seemed even more difficult. Her thoughts wandered, pulled by memories that insisted on surfacing: Matthew Oliver's arrogant expression, the intense look he always seemed to carry, and the casual way he infiltrated her thoughts.

"Stop thinking about it, Evelyn," she muttered to herself, as she swung her legs out of bed.

After a hot shower and a strong coffee, she was ready to face the day. Or at least, that's what she tried to convince herself.

At the hospital, Evelyn immersed herself in her routine. It was comforting, the repetition of the same steps: analyzing medical records, caring for patients, organizing medications. Each task kept her busy enough to forget the doubts that lingered in her mind.

But the routine was broken when a nurse appeared at the door of the medication room.

"Evelyn, there's someone at the front desk who wants to talk to you."

Evelyn sighed, already imagining it would be some lab representative wanting to push new medications. When she got to the front desk, however, she found an unexpected figure.

Matthew Oliver was there, wearing a dark suit that seemed tailored for him. His eyes had that usual intensity, but there was something else... something Evelyn couldn't quite place.

"Are you following me?" she asked, crossing her arms.

He smiled slightly.

"It's good to see that your mood is still intact. In fact, I came for my follow-up appointment."

Evelyn frowned.

"Appointment? You didn't even make an appointment."

Matthew shrugged, as if the world worked at his pace. "I figured you could fit me into your schedule."

She huffed, but eventually relented.

"Okay. Give me five minutes."

Evelyn led him into a small, simple but functional office. She gestured to the chair and began to review his charts.

"You know you're supposed to be resting, right?"

Matthew watched her with a small smile on his face.

"Rest has never been my strong point."

She looked at him over the glasses she used to read the documents.

"That doesn't surprise me."

As she did the basic exams, Evelyn noticed that there was something different about him. He was more... light? Or maybe it was her imagination.

"So, how have you been feeling?" she asked, as she checked the bandage on his shoulder.

"Better. But I'm not going to lie, the last few days have been intense."

She arched an eyebrow.

"Intense"? That doesn't sound like rest.

Matthew gave her an enigmatic smile.

"I have a complicated life."

Evelyn wanted to ask more, but held back. It wasn't her place to get involved in a patient's personal problems.

After the appointment, Matthew suggested something unexpected.

"Have you had lunch yet?"

Evelyn blinked, surprised.

"No, but... that's none of your business."

" Great. Let me buy you a coffee then."

She opened her mouth to refuse, but something in the way he asked made her hesitate. Maybe it was tiredness or curiosity, but she ended up agreeing.

They went to a coffee shop near the hospital, a small, cozy place with wooden tables and the constant aroma of ground beans.

" I didn't expect CEOs to have time for coffee, especially on a Tuesday afternoon," Evelyn commented, as she stirred the sugar in her cup.

Matthew laughed.

" Sometimes it's good to get away from the routine."

She watched him for a moment, trying to read him.

" You're hard to read."

He raised an eyebrow.

" And you're very direct."

" Someone has to be."

Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Marcus was in an abandoned warehouse. The meeting with the group's leaders was tense. The information about the Alvarezes was more serious than they had imagined.

"They won't stop until they take what's ours," one of the men said.

Marcus nodded, but remained calm. He knew Matthew would have a plan. He always did.

"We'll act when the time is right. Until then, keep your eyes open."

Night...

Evelyn returned home exhausted, but with her mind racing. Coffee with Matthew had intrigued her. He was so different from anyone she had ever met. There was something about him that drew her in, but also made her want to keep her distance.

She threw herself on the couch, staring at the ceiling as her thoughts piled up.

"What are you doing, Evelyn?" she muttered to herself.

Meanwhile, up high in his penthouse, Matthew was also deep in thought. He held a glass of whiskey, looking out at the illuminated city below. His mind was torn between the problems of the underworld and the image of Evelyn, with her bright eyes and sharp answers.