Celeste adjusted the files under her arm as she walked out of the PR firm she worked for. The late afternoon sun bathed the city streets in golden light, making everything look deceptively calm. Her phone buzzed with a reminder: Ethan's birthday dinner – Confirm reservation.
She smiled at the thought. Two years together, and she still got butterflies when she planned surprises for him. This year, she was going all out. A rooftop dinner, soft music, his favorite whiskey, and — the biggest surprise — a proposal.
Yes. She was going to propose.
It wasn't traditional, but Celeste had never been one to follow the rules. Ethan was kind, stable, and handsome. Sure, things had been a little off lately — more distance, more work excuses — but she chalked it up to pressure. She believed in love being a choice, and she was choosing Ethan. Simple.
Across the street, parked in a sleek black car with tinted windows, Adrian Vance watched her walk.
She didn't see him — she never did.
Not really.
To her, he was just Adrian, the quiet guy in her friend group who showed up for game nights, always brought good wine, and never said much. But to Adrian, she was the sun he'd never dared to touch. From the moment he'd laid eyes on her — laughing at a bad joke, chewing on her straw — something in him had shifted.
He learned about her the way a soldier studied maps before battle: methodically, carefully, reverently.
Her favorite color was teal. Her comfort food? Spaghetti with too much cheese. She hated the sound of clocks ticking and loved the smell of fresh rain. Her laugh? He'd recorded it once on accident — and kept the clip.
He hadn't meant to fall in love.
He'd only meant to keep her safe.
Adrian wasn't just a billionaire — he was the heir to one of the most feared underground syndicates in the country. A mafia legacy, carved in blood and fire, passed down to a boy who never asked for it. He didn't live a normal life, but he tried to blend into hers.
Watching. Waiting. Protecting from shadows.
Especially from Ethan.
Adrian's jaw clenched as he opened the latest file his informant had sent. Ethan had been seen with a woman again — Sadie.
Sadie. Celeste's closest friend.
The photos showed them entering a hotel. The timestamps didn't lie.
He should've told Celeste weeks ago, but how could he? To her, Ethan was the dream. And Adrian? He was the background.
He closed the file, eyes lingering on Celeste's smiling face in a selfie with Zara from Naomi's baby registry two months ago.
Zara.
He hadn't even met the baby yet, but somehow she was part of the story now, too.
Across the street, Celeste entered her favorite café. Adrian watched her greet the barista, hug her coworker, and order her usual: caramel iced coffee with extra whipped cream. She sat by the window, scrolling through her phone, probably texting Ethan.
He didn't know how much longer he could stay in the shadows.
How long could a man love a woman who didn't even see him?
His phone buzzed. A message from his right-hand man:
> "You want us to tell her about Ethan? Or wait?"
Adrian stared at the screen, fingers hovering over the keyboard.
No. Not yet. She still looked happy. Still believed in what she had.
And Adrian? He had never wanted to be the reason her world broke.
He would wait.
Wait until it all came crashing down — and she had nowhere else to turn.
And then, maybe then… she'd see him.