The clang of hammers against steel, the grind of drills, the whir of saws—it all mixed into a chaotic symphony.
I bent over the blueprint, calculating angles and load points, but no matter how chaotic the site became, his shadow never left.
Lucas… always watching.
> "Are you seriously planning to curve this line like that?"
He pointed at the new staircase frame.
"It won't handle the load, Anjali."
I exhaled sharply.
> "If you don't try it my way, you'll never know whether the lines can actually work with the steel."
He chuckled softly, unfazed.
> "You architects are stubborn, like children. But… I enjoy watching you try."
His words made me falter for a moment.
I noticed the way he was looking at me—not just inspecting the work, but… paying attention in a way that shouldn't matter.
We continued working side by side.
And every time his hand reached for steel or a tool near mine…
My heart raced, without warning.
> "Careful, Anjali. You're walking on a sharper edge than you think."
His voice was low, precise, almost like a whisper in my ear.
I smiled bitterly, realizing… this was a battlefield.
Not just between lines and steel,
But between the two of us.
A game I still didn't know who would win.