Kabir's fingers hovered over the keyboard, yet his attention wasn't on the spreadsheet in front of him. Something—or someone—had entered the elevator, and the faint click of heels against marble had already registered.
He didn't look up immediately. He didn't need to. Every movement in the lobby was background noise: people rushing, phones chiming, laughter bouncing off the walls. All irrelevant. Except for her.
She stepped out carefully, like she wasn't supposed to be noticed—but she was. Dark hair, eyes sharp enough to scan a room, a subtle tension in her shoulders. Rookie or confident? He couldn't tell yet. That flicker of uncertainty intrigued him.
His fingers tapped a lazy rhythm on the desk, not because of the work, but because measuring people—calculating their angles, their reactions—was more interesting. She didn't know it, of course. No one ever noticed him watching.
Yet there she was, curiosity flashing in her gaze, and it wasn't fear. Not exactly. That was… unusual.
"Wow, first day and already hypnotized by the ice sculpture," a voice chimed, cutting through the calculated quiet.
Kabir's eyes narrowed fractionally. Intrusion. Distraction. Amateurish. He glanced up just enough to confirm: the girl—messy bun, oversized confidence, all spark and mischief—was nudging his observation target. Anaya.
She flushed, muttered something, but her eyes stayed on him for a heartbeat too long. Bold, but inexperienced.
He leaned back, folding his arms, posture perfect, as if daring her to make a mistake. She didn't look away. Interesting.
His mind ran through the variables. She would be a problem. Or… an opportunity. He didn't know which yet. But he knew one thing: she had entered his calculated world, and once you stepped into it, he didn't let go.
He returned to the screen, pretending focus, though the tiny adjustments she made—the tilt of her head, the subtle bite of her lip—registered like sparks on dry wood. Dangerous. Enticing. A collision he didn't plan for but somehow already anticipated.
Kabir didn't smile. He didn't acknowledge her presence outright. He simply watched, measured, and waited. The game had begun.
And he never lost games.