By the time Stella reached home, the rain had slowed down.Not completely stopped. Just softer now. The kind of rain that quietly taps on windows like it's thinking about something.
The cab stopped in front of her small apartment building.
"Here we are," the driver said.
Stella paid him quickly, thanked him, and stepped out. The air felt cooler now, and the street looked almost empty. A streetlight flickered near the corner, lighting the wet road in a dull yellow glow.
She hurried inside the building and climbed the stairs.
Their apartment was on the second floor. Nothing fancy. Just a simple place she had lived in with her mother for years.
When she pushed the door open, the familiar smell of food filled the air.
Her mother's voice came from the kitchen.
"Stella? Is that you?"
"Yes, Mom," Stella replied, dropping her bag on the small sofa.
Her mother walked out wiping her hands on a towel. The moment she saw Stella's slightly wet hair, her eyebrows pulled together.
"You went out in the rain again?"
"I didn't plan it," Stella said with a tired smile. "My cab was late."
Her mother shook her head a little but didn't say anything more.
"Go change. Dinner is almost ready."
Stella nodded and walked to her room.
It was small but cozy. A bed near the wall, a study table covered with books, and a window that looked out toward the street.
She dropped her notebook on the desk and sat on the bed for a moment.
The day had been long.
Her brain felt full.
But strangely… one random moment from earlier kept returning to her mind.
The man outside the college gate.
Those black cars.
And the way he had looked at her.
She frowned slightly.
Why am I thinking about that again?
He was probably some rich businessman visiting the college for a meeting or something.
People like him existed in a completely different world.
Far away from hers.
Stella stood up and changed into comfortable clothes before joining her mother for dinner.
Soon their small apartment filled with normal conversation again.
College.
Groceries.
Bills.
Simple things.
And slowly, Stella forgot about the strange man from the rainy evening.
Across the city, the night looked very different.
Tall iron gates opened silently as a convoy of black cars drove into a massive estate.
Lights from the mansion glowed warmly through the rain.
This was the Bianchi residence.
Apollo Bianchi stepped out of the car.
A security guard rushed forward with an umbrella, but Apollo waved him away and walked toward the entrance without it.
Rain fell lightly on his coat as he entered the house.
Inside, everything was quiet and perfectly arranged.
A maid greeted him politely before disappearing down the hallway.
Apollo walked straight toward his office.
He removed his coat and placed it on the chair before sitting down behind his desk.
The room was large, dimly lit, and lined with dark wooden shelves.
He leaned back slightly in his chair, thinking.
For some reason, his mind returned to the girl from the college gate.
She hadn't looked scared.
She hadn't tried to impress him.
She had simply looked away like he was just another person.
It was… unusual.
A knock sounded on the door.
"Come in."
Marco stepped inside.
Marco had worked for the Bianchi family for years. He was loyal, quiet, and extremely efficient.
He held a tablet in his hand.
"I found the information you asked for, sir."
Apollo raised one eyebrow slightly.
"That fast?"
Marco gave a small nod and handed him the tablet.
Apollo looked down at the screen.
A photo appeared.
The same girl from earlier.
Dark hair. Sharp eyes. Calm expression.
Below the photo was a name.
'Stella Miller'
Apollo read it slowly.
"Stella Miller."
The name felt strange on his tongue.
Marco continued speaking.
"She's nineteen. Second-year student at St. Adrian College. Economics major. She lives with her mother. Scholarship student."
Apollo remained quiet for a moment, studying the photo again.
The girl in the picture looked exactly the same as she had earlier in the rain.
Simple.
Unbothered.
Different.
He handed the tablet back to Marco.
"Keep an eye on her."
Marco hesitated slightly.
"Sir… just information?"
Apollo stood up and walked toward the large window in the office.
Rain still tapped lightly against the glass outside.
"Yes"he said calmly.
"Just information."
Marco nodded.
"As you wish."
After he left, Apollo stayed by the window for a while.
Across the city, Stella Miller was probably sleeping already.
Completely unaware that someone powerful had just learned her name.
And in Apollo Bianchi's world, once he noticed something…
He rarely forgot it.