A life in the shadows

Sophia adjusted her hood, keeping her head low as she moved through the crowded streets of downtown. She blended in easily—just another face in the sea of city dwellers rushing to get home before nightfall.

She preferred it this way. Unnoticed. Invisible.

The heavy weight of her backpack pressed against her shoulders, filled with documents she couldn't afford to lose. Rent is due soon. I just need to get through another month.

Her tiny apartment in the quieter part of town was far from luxurious, but it was safe—or at least, it had been. Lately, she had the unsettling feeling that someone was watching her.

She shook off the paranoia and quickened her pace. No one is looking for me. No one even knows who I am.

At least, that's what she thought.

The café where she worked was quiet at this hour, with only a few customers lingering over their drinks. Sophia slipped behind the counter, tying her apron with practiced efficiency.

Her coworker, Nina, leaned in with a smirk. "Late again."

Sophia rolled her eyes. "By two minutes."

"Two minutes means I had to deal with Mr. Grumpy over there." Nina nodded toward an older man at the corner table, scowling at his laptop screen.

Sophia suppressed a laugh. "I owe you one."

"You owe me coffee," Nina corrected, nudging her before heading to the back.

Sophia turned to the register just as the bell above the door chimed.

The moment the man stepped in, she felt it.

A shift in the air.

He was tall, dressed in a sharp black suit that seemed out of place in a cozy café. His presence commanded attention, though he didn't demand it. It was effortless.

Sophia swallowed hard. Elijah Sinclair.

She had never met him before, but she knew exactly who he was.

Everyone did.

The billionaire CEO of Sinclair Industries. Ruthless, powerful, untouchable.

What the hell was he doing here?

Sophia kept her expression neutral as he approached the counter.

"Black coffee," he said, his voice deep and smooth.

Sophia nodded, forcing her hands to remain steady as she worked the machine. She could feel his gaze on her, assessing, like he knew something she didn't.

She set the cup in front of him, and for the first time, their eyes met.

Dark. Intense. Unreadable.

Something flickered across his expression. Recognition?

Sophia's stomach twisted. No. That's impossible. He doesn't know me.

"Keep the change." His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it, something deliberate.

Then, without another word, he took his coffee and walked out.

Sophia let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

Nina popped her head out from the back. "Okay, who was that? He looked like he owns half the city."

Sophia forced a shrug. "Something like that."

She wanted to believe it was a coincidence. That Elijah Sinclair had just stopped by for coffee.

But something told her it wasn't that simple.

That night, Sophia sat on her bed, staring at the old photograph in her hands.

A younger version of herself, smiling beside a man she barely remembered. The only connection she had to a past she had spent years running from.

She traced the edges of the worn paper. Whoever my father was, he left behind more enemies than I realized.

A sudden noise outside made her freeze.

A sharp click. A shift of movement.

Her heart pounded as she reached for the knife she kept under her pillow. Slowly, she moved toward the window.

Nothing.

Just the dimly lit street below.

But the unease in her chest didn't fade.

Sophia locked the door, double-checking the windows.

She wasn't being paranoid.

Someone was watching her.

And she had a feeling this was only the beginning.