Chapter 1 :The day he arrives.

Chapter One: The Day He Arrives

Anna hurried through the crowded sidewalk, clutching her cup of coffee. It was one of those days where everything seemed to be moving at a faster pace than usual. The scent of fresh pastries from the café mixed with the morning hustle, but Anna didn't have time to stop. She was late, as always.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she glanced down quickly to check the message. In that moment, fate decided to take a turn. She collided with someone—hard.

"Ugh!" Anna gasped as the coffee flew from her cup, splashing over the stranger in front of her.

She froze, eyes wide, watching as the hot liquid soaked into the man's tailored suit. His sharp features twisted in disbelief as he stepped back, clearly stunned.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" the man snapped, his voice cold and filled with irritation.

Anna's heart sank. Of all the mornings… Of all the people she could have bumped into, it had to be him.

"I—I'm so sorry," she stammered, trying to hide her panic. "It was an accident! I wasn't looking where I was—"

"You weren't looking? Are you serious right now?" He cut her off, glaring down at her with such intensity it made her feel like she was the one who had done something unforgivable.

Anna rolled her eyes, irritation quickly rising within her. She didn't need this right now. "It's coffee, not acid. It's not the end of the world."

The man's eyes narrowed as he took a step closer, his jaw tightening. "You're lucky it's just coffee. This suit cost more than your entire wardrobe, and now I'm going to have to get it cleaned."

Anna scoffed. "Well, maybe you should have been looking where you were going. I'm not the one who decided to walk around like I own the sidewalk."

"Excuse me?" His voice was low, his temper obviously flaring.

"I'm saying that maybe if you weren't so busy looking down your nose at everyone, you'd have noticed me—you know, a person, not just another obstacle in your way." She crossed her arms, daring him to retort.

The man stared at her, clearly taken aback by her defiant attitude. For a moment, they just stood there, locked in a silent standoff. He opened his mouth to say something, but then he stopped himself.

Anna's nerves began to jitter as she checked the time. She was so late. "Look, I'm really sorry about your suit, but I've got to go." She dug into her purse and pulled out her credit card, thrusting it at him. "I'll pay for the dry cleaning."

The man stared at the card, then back at her, as if he couldn't decide whether he was more annoyed or amused.

Anna tossed it at him. "I'll let you deal with that. Have a nice day." Without waiting for a reply, she turned and hurried off, weaving through the crowd. She needed to get to her get-together. Her friends were probably already waiting for her.

As she disappeared into the crowd, the man stood there, still holding her credit card, his eyes narrowing as he watched her walk away.