The city felt too big, too loud, too fast. Evelyn Hart stepped off the train, gripping the handle of her small suitcase. The air smelled of coffee, perfume, and rain, a sharp contrast to the quiet countryside she had known all her life.
Her heart pounded. This was it. A new life, away from the suffocating rules of her strict upbringing. No more curfews, no more whispered warnings about men, no more being told what was 'proper.'
The streets pulsed with energy. Men in tailored suits, women in high heels, neon signs flickering above expensive boutiques and late-night cafés. She felt like a lost girl in a world she didn't belong to.
As she reached for her phone to check the address of her tiny rented apartment, a voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Are you lost?"
Evelyn turned—and her breath caught.
A man stood before her, tall, confident, dangerously handsome. His sharp jawline, piercing dark eyes, and tailored black coat made him look like he had just stepped out of a billionaire's office. His presence was overwhelming, his gaze steady and unreadable.
She swallowed hard. Who was he? And why did she suddenly feel like she was stepping into something she didn't understand?
"I… I'm new here," she admitted, her voice softer than she wanted.
The corner of his lips curled in amusement. "I can tell." His eyes lingered on her for just a second too long. A second that sent a shiver down her spine.
She should walk away. But she didn't.
She had no idea that this moment—this man—would change everything.