The morning arrived with a gray, heavy sky, announcing that Lorencia would face a long rain in the next few hours. Evelyn woke up before her alarm clock. Something in her mind seemed restless, like a tide that wouldn't stop rising, bringing mixed thoughts of Matthew and Nycolas. She got up slowly, feeling the cold of the wooden floor against her bare feet, and went straight to the kitchen to make some tea.
While the kettle heated, Evelyn rested her elbows on the counter and looked out the window. The first drops of rain were already starting to run down the glass, and she felt that kind of nostalgia that seemed to come from nowhere.
"What a pain, huh? Me, living alone, with lots of silence to fill," she muttered to herself, laughing humorlessly.
But loneliness was something she had learned to accept, a strange but constant companion.
The hospital was busy as always. Evelyn arrived early, which gave her a few minutes to organize the medical records before diving into the routine of the day. She was still rereading the notes on a patient when Clara came in, carrying a folder and a coffee.
"Oh, are you there yet? I thought you were going to take advantage of the rain to be late," Clara joked, placing the coffee on her desk.
Evelyn smiled, but didn't take her eyes off the paper.
"If I started being late, I'd never get out of bed."
"Wise choice." Clara paused for a moment, looking at Evelyn. "Is everything okay?"
The question took Evelyn by surprise. She looked up, seeing her colleague's genuinely concerned expression.
"I'm... I'm fine, just a little tired."
"Tired or overthinking?" Clara raised her eyebrows.
Evelyn laughed, but it was a nervous laugh.
"Maybe a little of both."
Before the conversation could continue, a call on the radio interrupted. A patient had just arrived at the emergency room, and Evelyn was assigned to the case.
In the emergency room, Evelyn went into professional mode as soon as she saw the patient's condition. He was a young man with a deep cut on his arm that looked like it had been caused by broken glass.
"Name?" she asked as she adjusted her gloves.
The man, pale but trying to maintain his composure, answered in a weak voice:
"Daniel... Daniel Laurent."
There was something familiar about that name, but Evelyn didn't have time to think about it. Working efficiently, she cleaned and stitched the wound while listening to Daniel's confusing explanations of how he had cut himself.
"Are you saying you fell on a glass table?" she asked suspiciously.
Daniel tried to laugh, but it sounded more like a groan.
"Let's just say it was a... complicated accident."
After stabilizing him, Evelyn left the room to report the case to the head of the emergency room. As she walked through the hallways, she was surprised by the sight of Matthew, standing at the reception desk, talking to a nurse.
He didn't look hurt, but his serious expression and intense gaze caught Evelyn's attention immediately.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, approaching.
Matthew turned at the sound of her voice and, for a moment, seemed to relax.
"I came to see someone. A friend."
"A friend or another one of your secrets?" Evelyn teased, but there was a hint of real curiosity in her voice.
He smiled but didn't answer. Instead, he looked at her as if he were analyzing something.
"You look tired."
"I work at a hospital, remember? It's part of the package."
"Still, you should take better care of yourself."
Evelyn rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help but feel her heart race a little. There was something in the way he spoke, in the genuine concern he seemed to convey, that completely disarmed her.
Later, when work was over, Evelyn decided to walk to the coffee shop near the hospital before heading home. The rain had eased, but the air was still damp and cool.
While she was waiting for her coffee, she saw Matthew coming in. He seemed lost in thought, but as soon as he saw her, his expression changed.
"I think you're following me, Oliver," she joked, trying to ease the tension she felt whenever he was around.
"Maybe it's the other way around." He smirked and walked over. "What are you doing here?"
"Trying to get through the day with a little caffeine."
The two of them grabbed their coffees and, without much discussion, ended up sitting at the same table. The conversation flowed slowly, with silences that, instead of being uncomfortable, seemed natural.
"You never talk much about yourself," Evelyn said after a while.
"There's not much to say. I'm just a busy guy, that's all."
"Oh, okay. And I'm an astronaut in my spare time."
Matthew laughed. "You're more curious than you seem, Evelyn."
"And you're more mysterious than you should be."
The two of them looked at each other, and in that moment, something seemed to solidify between them. It wasn't just attraction, it was a kind of mutual understanding, a connection that neither of them could explain.
When Evelyn finally got home, the rain had started to fall again, this time harder. She sat on the couch, looking at her phone as if she was waiting for a message, although she didn't know exactly from whom.
Across town, Matthew sat in his apartment, staring at a dossier he had just received. The information was clear and disturbing: Dmitri Volkov was on the move, and that meant trouble.
Picking up his phone, he typed a quick message:
Matthew: "I hope you got home safely."
Evelyn read the message and, for the first time in a long time, smiled to herself.
Evelyn: "Yes, I did. Thanks for asking. You too?"
The response was almost immediate.
Matthew: "Yes. Sleep well, Evelyn."
She turned off the light, but the smile remained.
The next morning began with a heavy silence. The sky was still heavy with clouds, and the city seemed sluggish, as if it, too, were resisting the start of the day. Evelyn woke before her alarm again, this time with a clearer mind, although the dream about Matthew was still fresh in her memory. It wasn't clear at all, just flashes, but his gaze seemed more intense, almost… protective.
She shook her head as she tied her hair into a makeshift bun and went to the kitchen. The smell of coffee soon filled the small apartment, a simple but welcome comfort.
As she sipped her cup, she picked up her cell phone. Matthew's message was still there, as if it were a reminder that someone, however mysterious, was paying attention to her. Evelyn wasn't sure how to feel about that.
"Be careful, Evelyn. He's very complicated," she muttered to herself, but the words didn't carry the conviction she would have liked.
Matthew sat at the table, the morning light streaming in through the large glass windows. Oliver Corp was already in full swing, but he seemed oblivious to the activity around him. On the table, a detailed report of his underworld contacts revealed more of Dmitri Volkov's movements, and he knew he couldn't ignore the problem for much longer.
"Mr. Oliver, you have a meeting in 15 minutes," Sarah, his efficient assistant, announced, entering the office with a tablet in her hands.
Matthew nodded, but before Sarah left, he asked casually:
"Sarah, do you think coffee can change someone's mood?"
She paused for a second, surprised by the unusual question.
"It depends on the company, sir."
Matthew gave a slight smile, something rare, and dismissed her with a gesture. He could still see Evelyn's smile from the night before, that way of hers of balancing lightness and depth at the same time. Something in him was starting to change, but he still didn't know what to do with it.
Evelyn spent the day at the hospital, but her mind often wandered between appointments.
Clara, always attentive, noticed her friend's distraction and wasted no time in provoking her.
"Okay, are you going to tell me now or am I going to have to get it out of you?"
Evelyn looked up from the computer screen, confused. "Tell me what?"
"Who's the owner of that silly smile you gave me earlier?"
Evelyn tried to deny it, but Clara's laughter disarmed her.
"It's nothing. It's just... an acquaintance."
"An acquaintance who texts you at night? Hmm, interesting."
They laughed, but Evelyn felt her face heat up. As much as she wanted to push the idea away, she knew Matthew was taking up more space in her thoughts than he should.
Later, at home, Evelyn was trying to relax by watching some random show when the phone rang. She didn't recognize the number, but she answered it anyway.
"Hello?"
"Evelyn? It's Matthew."
Her heart gave an unexpected leap.
"Matthew? How are you?"
"Yeah. I was just... wondering. Do you have any plans for tomorrow night?"
She hesitated. The idea of going out with him was dangerous.
"Not exactly. Why?"
"I thought maybe we could have dinner. Something simple."
Evelyn bit her lip, trying to ignore the wave of anxiety that washed over her.
"Okay. Where?"
"I'll send you the address. And, Evelyn... Thank you."
She hung up, staring at the phone as if it could provide answers to all the questions that were popping into her mind.
The next day, Matthew chose a discreet restaurant, away from the spotlight that usually surrounded him. Evelyn arrived punctually, wearing a simple but elegant dress that highlighted her naturalness.
Matthew was already waiting, and when he saw her enter, he immediately stood up.
"You look beautiful."
She smiled awkwardly.
"Thank you. And you look... formal as always."
They sat down, and dinner began with light conversation. Evelyn told some stories from the hospital, while Matthew listened attentively, occasionally offering a comment that made her laugh.
"You never laugh, do you?" she asked, in a moment of courage.
Matthew arched an eyebrow.
"I laugh. I'm just not very good at it."
"I'll make you laugh more often, you bet."
There was something genuine about that promise, and Matthew couldn't help but smile a little.
As the evening wore on, their conversations became more personal. Evelyn spoke briefly about her divorce but avoided going into detail. Matthew, for his part, mentioned the pressures of leading Oliver Corp, but left out his other life, the one in the underworld.
"Have you ever thought about... quitting?" Evelyn asked suddenly.
Matthew tilted his head curiously.
"Quitting what?"
"This life. Working so hard, carrying so much on your own."
He was silent for a moment, considering the question.
"It's not that simple. Some things... you can't just leave behind."
Evelyn felt the truth in his words, even if she didn't know exactly what he was hiding.
When dinner was over, Matthew insisted on taking her home. In the car, the silence between them was comfortable, but filled with a tension that neither of them could name.
When they arrived, Evelyn hesitated before getting out.
"Thank you for dinner. It was... very good."
Matthew held her gaze for a moment. "It was. Good night, Evelyn."
She walked into the building with her heart beating faster, while Matthew stayed in the car for a few minutes, looking at the building as if he expected to see her again.