Some memories never fade.
No matter how many years pass.
No matter how hard you try to bury them.
For Lina Moyo, there was one memory she wished she could erase forever.
A rainy night.
Ten years ago.
And a pair of dark eyes she had never forgotten.
The elevator doors opened with a soft ding.
Lina stepped out into the lobby of Kade International, adjusting the strap of her handbag nervously.
It was Monday morning, and the office felt unusually alive.
Employees stood in small groups whispering excitedly.
Phones were out.
Someone had even turned on the large television screen mounted on the wall.
Lina frowned slightly.
"What's going on?" she asked her coworker, Sarah, who was practically bouncing with excitement.
Sarah grabbed Lina's arm.
"You haven't heard?"
"Heard what?"
"Our company has a new CEO."
Lina blinked.
"A new CEO?"
"Yes! Apparently the board replaced Mr. Dube last night."
The television screen suddenly flickered to life.
A news reporter appeared.
Behind her stood the tall glass building of Kade International.
"Breaking news this morning," the reporter said. "Kade International has officially appointed its new CEO, Adrian Kade."
Employees murmured in surprise.
Sarah gasped dramatically.
"They say he's young, insanely rich, and very powerful."
Lina wasn't really paying attention.
She was already turning toward the coffee station.
But then the television camera zoomed in.
A black car stopped in front of the building.
The door opened.
A tall man stepped out.
He wore a perfectly tailored black suit.
His posture was straight.
Confident.
Cold.
The camera moved closer.
And Lina froze.
Her coffee cup slipped from her hand and shattered on the floor.
Because she recognized that face.
Those eyes.
Those exact eyes.
Her heart began pounding violently.
No…
It couldn't be.
But the screen didn't lie.
Adrian Kade.
The man walking calmly toward the building entrance.
The man everyone was whispering about.
The new CEO.
Was the same man from that night ten years ago.
The rain had been falling heavily that night.
Lina remembered running through empty streets, her heels slipping on the wet pavement.
She had been young then.
Too young.
Too trusting.
And that was the night she met him.
The stranger whose face she never saw clearly.
Only his eyes.
Dark.
Intense.
Unforgettable.
Those same eyes were now staring out from the television screen.
Older.
Sharper.
More dangerous.
But unmistakably the same.
"Lina?" Sarah's voice pulled her back to reality.
"You dropped your coffee."
Lina barely heard her.
Her hands were trembling.
Because if Adrian Kade was the new CEO…
That meant he would be working here.
In the same building.
Only a few floors above her.
Later that morning, Lina tried to focus on her work.
She stared at the numbers on her computer screen.
But nothing made sense.
Her mind kept replaying the image from the television.
Those eyes.
That face.
It had to be a coincidence.
It had to be.
There were many men in the world with similar faces.
Maybe she was imagining things.
Maybe—
"Miss Moyo."
Lina jumped.
Her manager stood beside her desk.
"Yes, sir?"
"You're needed upstairs."
Her stomach tightened.
"Upstairs?"
"The executive floor."
Lina's heart skipped.
"Why?"
"The new CEO wants to meet a few employees."
The manager looked down at his clipboard.
"You're one of them."
Ten minutes later, Lina stood outside the executive office.
The hallway was silent.
Luxurious.
Intimidating.
A secretary sat behind a large desk.
She looked up and smiled politely.
"You must be Miss Moyo."
"Yes."
"You may go in."
Lina's throat felt dry.
She slowly pushed the door open.
The office inside was enormous.
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the entire city.
A man stood near the window with his back turned.
Tall.
Still.
Powerful.
Lina's heart started racing again.
The door clicked shut behind her.
The man slowly turned around.
And their eyes met.
Time stopped.
Lina knew immediately.
It was him.
The man from that night.
Adrian Kade studied her quietly.
His expression calm.
Almost indifferent.
As if he were meeting a stranger.
Then he spoke.
His voice was deep.
Controlled.
"Miss Moyo."
Lina swallowed.
"Yes… sir."
Adrian walked toward his desk and sat down.
He opened a file calmly.
Then he looked at her again.
"Have we met before?"
Lina's breath caught.
Because she knew he was lying.
Those eyes.
Those unforgettable eyes.
There was no way he didn't recognize her.
But Adrian's face remained perfectly calm.
Cold.
Professional.
As if she meant absolutely nothing to him.
Then something even stranger happened.
Adrian stood up slowly.
He walked around the desk.
Step by step.
Until he was standing directly in front of her.
Too close.
Much too close.
Lina could smell his cologne.
Her heart was beating wildly.
Adrian leaned slightly toward her ear.
And whispered quietly.
"Relax, Miss Moyo."
His voice was almost amused.
Then he added something that made Lina's blood run cold.
"Of course I remember you."
Lina froze.
Adrian straightened again and looked directly into her eyes.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
Cold.
Dangerous.
Unreadable.
And then he said softly:
"After all…"
"You were my first mistake."