The air outside the lecture hall felt cooler than it should have.
Aria didn't realize she had been holding her breath until her lungs burned. She leaned against the corridor wall, staring at the polished floor tiles while students passed by in a blur of chatter and footsteps.
No one screamed.
No one ran.
No shattered glass. No smoke curling from carved words.
Just… ordinary noise.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she pushed herself upright and forced herself to look toward the courtyard again.
Sunlight stretched lazily across trimmed grass. A group of students sat beneath a tree, arguing about something trivial. Two girls took selfies near the fountain.
He wasn't there.
The space where he had stood was empty.
A tight laugh escaped her before she could stop it.
"You're losing it," she murmured.
She hadn't slept properly. She'd had too much coffee. Her nerves had been shot since last night.
Last night.
The memory tried to rise again, the alley, the blood, the way his eyes had found hers.
She shut it down quickly. Was he even human? Or had she watched too many fantasy movies?
No.
If she let herself dwell on it, she would spiral.
It was easier, safer to blame exhaustion.
After a few steadying breaths, Aria adjusted the strap of her bag and walked back into class.
No one looked at her strangely. The professor didn't pause mid-sentence. Her desk waited exactly as she had left it, notebook open, pen resting across the page.
Normal.
She sat.
Forced her hand to move.
Forced her mind to focus on lecture slides instead of dark alleyways and impossible men.
But every few minutes, her gaze drifted toward the window.
Just in case.
When class finally ended, relief washed through her so strongly it almost made her lightheaded.
She packed her things quickly, hoping to slip away unnoticed, but Mia's hand caught her wrist.
"You okay?" Jenna asked softly.
Aria offered a practiced smile. "Yeah. Just a headache."
"Too much coffee," Lila declared, appearing at Jenna's shoulder. "You always overdo it."
Aria let out a quiet huff of laughter. "Probably."
The explanation felt convenient. Safe.
They walked toward the campus café together, the familiar rhythm of conversation wrapping around her like a shield. Lila complained about assignments. Jenna gossiped about someone from their economics class.
The world felt grounded again.
Predictable.
The café was crowded as usual. The scent of coffee beans and fried food hung thick in the air. Students filled every table, voices overlapping in a warm, chaotic hum.
Aria ordered something light and avoided caffeine this time. She didn't trust her nerves with another cup.
They found a small table near the windows. Not too close. Not too far.
The sunlight filtering through the glass felt reassuring.
Jenna was mid-story, something dramatic involving a disastrous blind date when the noise level shifted.
It wasn't immediate.
It was subtle.
A gradual lowering of voices.
A change in tone.
Aria didn't notice at first. But Lila did.
Lily straightened slowly, eyes widening. "No way."
Jenna turned. "What?"
Aria followed their gaze.
The door had just opened.
A tall figure stepped inside, pausing just briefly as if adjusting to the indoor lighting.
He wore simple clothes, dark jeans, a fitted jacket, but somehow managed to command attention without trying.
Dark brown hair brushed his forehead in effortless waves. His features were sharp, familiar in a way that tugged faintly at something inside her memory.
Then he smiled.
And recognition hit.
"Ethan?" she breathed.
He spotted her almost instantly.
His expression shifted, not into the public smile she'd seen on billboards or magazine covers but something softer. Warmer.
"Aria."
Her name sounded different in his voice now. Lower. Matured.
He crossed the café without hesitation, the whispers around him swelling.
"Oh my God, that's Ethan Vale."
"Isn't he filming nearby?"
"Should we ask for a picture?"
He stopped in front of her table.
For a moment, they simply looked at each other.
The last time she'd seen him, they had both been teenagers, awkward, laughing too loudly, dreaming about futures that had felt impossibly far away.
Now he stood before her polished and self-assured, the kind of man who belonged under flashing lights.
"You disappeared," she said, half teasing, half accusing, "What are you doing here?"
He huffed a quiet laugh. "You could've texted."
"You changed your number."
"Occupational hazard."
There it was, the old rhythm. Easy. Familiar.
He opened his arms slightly in a silent question.
She hesitated only a second before stepping forward.
The hug was brief but real.
Solid.
Grounding.
Students in the cafe chattered and murmured loudly, Ethan Vale was in their school!!! Every girl's celebrity crush.
When she stepped back, she realized he was studying her carefully.
Not in a strange way.
Just… attentively.
"You look the same," he said.
"That's insulting."
He grinned. "I meant it as a compliment."
Jenna and Lila were practically vibrating beside her.
"You're friends?" Jenna whispered.
"We grew up together," Ethan explained. "Our parents used to joke we'd get married."
Aria nearly choked. "They absolutely did not."
"They did," he said smoothly. "You just blocked it out."
Heat crept into her cheeks, but she found herself smiling.
The tension that had been coiled tight in her chest since morning eased slightly.
He pulled out a chair.
"Mind if I join you?"
Lila answered before Aria could. "Please."
Ethan sat beside her, not too close, but close enough that she could feel the warmth radiating from him.
He asked about her classes. About her parents. About the apartment she had moved into last year.
Normal questions.
Normal conversation.
Yet something about the way he looked at her felt different from before.
As if he were memorizing her face.
As if he were searching for something beneath the surface.
"You okay?" he asked casually at one point.
"Yeah," she said quickly.
He tilted his head slightly.
"You seem distracted."
She forced a shrug. "Just didn't sleep well."
His gaze lingered for half a second longer than necessary.
Then he nodded.
"City can be loud," he said lightly. "Hard to rest sometimes."
There was something in his tone she couldn't quite decipher.
Not suspicion.
Not concern.
Just awareness.
Outside the window, clouds drifted lazily across the sky, dimming the sunlight.
Aria glanced toward the glass without meaning to.
Her reflection stared back at her.
Pale.
Thoughtful.
Alone.
When she turned back to the table, Ethan was still watching her.
Not smiling this time.
Just observing.
Then, as if sensing her attention, he softened his expression again.
"You should come to set sometime," he said. "It's less glamorous than it looks."
"Doubtful," Lila muttered.
Aria smiled faintly, but a strange feeling stirred in her chest.
Not fear.
Not exactly.
Just the quiet understanding that something in her life had shifted.
The night before had cracked something open.
And now...
People from her past were stepping back into her present.
As lunch wound down and students slowly dispersed, Ethan stood.
"I have a meeting," he said. "But I'm not disappearing again." He gave her hus card and gave her a bear hug.
His eyes met hers meaningfully.
"I'll see you around, Aria."
She nodded.
"Yeah. See you."
He walked toward the exit, drawing attention with every step.
Just before pushing the door open, he paused.
For the briefest second, his gaze flicked past her...
Toward the window.
His expression changed.
Barely.
A tightening at the jaw.
A stillness.
Then it was gone.
He left.
Aria turned slowly toward the glass again.
The courtyard looked ordinary.
Peaceful.
Empty.
And yet...
A chill slid down her spine.
The feeling of being watched returned.
Not intense.
Not overwhelming.
Just… present.
Lingering.
As if somewhere, beyond sight...
Someone was waiting.
She shrugged it off because she had other things to prepare for, like the interview for her internship at Obsidian Holdings, a multi-investment company. She couldn't trade the interview for anything, it had always been her dream to work there... although the CEO was unknown, even his name was left out of the blogs which was mysterious. Either way, she heard they paid cool cash and that's what she was aiming for.
Aria dropped her bag onto the couch and stood still for a moment.
Her apartment felt smaller tonight.
Not in a suffocating way. Just… quieter than usual.
She rubbed her forehead and let out a long breath. "Okay. Reset."
Today had been chaotic. Weird. Slightly embarrassing.
Imagining someone outside the classroom? Dramatic.
Running out of class without explanation? Worse.
Then lunch. Then her childhood friend walking in like he'd stepped out of a movie premiere.
She groaned softly and walked to the kitchen.
She needed water. And maybe silence.
Leaning against the counter, she unlocked her phone and reread the internship confirmation email.
Obsidian Holdings
Corporate Internship Program
Reporting Time: 9:00 AM
Her stomach fluttered.
Obsidian Holdings.
One of the most powerful investment firms in the city. They acquired companies. Rebuilt them. Dominated markets. No flashy branding. No loud advertising. Just quiet control.
Even stranger?
The CEO was unknown.
No public name attached to interviews. No verified photographs. The company always issued statements through a board spokesperson.
It was unusual for a firm that large.
Almost deliberate.
Aria had googled it earlier out of curiosity. Forums were full of speculation.
"Shadow owner."
"Old money dynasty."
"Someone who doesn't want to be seen."
She shook her head.
Rich people and their mysterious branding.
It wasn't her business. She was just an intern.
Still… something about the company's quiet dominance made her chest feel tight.
She closed her phone and headed to her room.
Clothes first.
She pulled open her wardrobe and scanned the options carefully. This wasn't just any internship. Obsidian Holdings had a reputation for being intimidatingly professional.
She laid out a black pencil skirt and a soft ivory blouse on her bed. Then added her blazer.
Too much?
She tried the outfit on and stood in front of the mirror.
She looked… older.
More serious.
More capable.
For a moment, she almost didn't recognize herself.
"You've got this," she whispered.
It was strange how quickly her mind drifted back to earlier.
The classroom window.
The feeling of being watched.
The certainty that someone was there.
She pressed her lips together.
Stress.
It had to be stress.
Her schedule had been packed lately. Between classes, internship applications, and the unexpected reunion with...
Her phone buzzed.
She jumped slightly.
Unknown Number.
Her heart did that annoying skip again.
She stared at the screen for a full five seconds before declining the call.
If it was important, they'd leave a message.
No voicemail came.
She told herself not to overthink it.
Instead, she organized her documents neatly into a folder. Resume. ID copy. Academic transcripts. She checked everything twice.
Control what you can control.
That was her rule.
After changing into pajamas, she sat on her bed and allowed herself one final scroll through Obsidian Holdings' website.
Minimalist.
Black and silver design.
Tagline,
"We don't follow markets. We shape them."
A shiver ran down her spine.
It was probably just good branding.
Probably.
She closed her laptop and turned off the lights.
The room dimmed, city glow slipping through the curtains.
As she settled under her blanket, she told herself tomorrow would be simple.
Wake up.
Dress professionally.
Smile.
Be competent.
Don't embarrass yourself.
And absolutely do not imagine shadowy figures outside corporate windows.
Her breathing slowly evened out.
Across the city, inside the top floor of Obsidian Holdings' headquarters, a private office remained lit.
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked everything.
A file sat open on a sleek black desk.
Aria Vale.
A long moment of silence.
Then a gloved hand closed the file gently.
"Let's see," a low voice murmured into the dark.