Evenings in the city carried a quiet kind of beauty.
Not the loud, overwhelming kind—the kind that forced itself into attention—but something softer. The glow of streetlights stretching across polished roads, the low hum of distant conversations, the faint sound of music escaping from cafés that stayed open just a little too late.
Liora Vance liked evenings.
They gave her space to breathe.
The balcony doors stood open behind her, letting in a gentle breeze that moved the thin curtains in slow, lazy motions. She leaned lightly against the railing, her fingers resting against the cool metal as she looked out at the city below.
It was peaceful.
Too peaceful, some might say.
But she had never been the kind of person who needed noise to feel alive.
"You've been out here for ten minutes."
The voice behind her was warm, familiar.
Liora smiled slightly before turning.
Adrian Vale stood just inside the room, sleeves rolled up, his tie loosened like he had abandoned the idea of formality halfway through the evening. His presence filled the space in a way that felt… steady.
Grounded.
"I needed air," she said.
"You always say that."
"And I always mean it."
He walked toward her, stopping just close enough that she didn't have to turn fully to face him. His hand brushed lightly against hers on the railing, a quiet gesture that didn't demand attention—but carried meaning anyway.
"Dinner's getting cold," he said.
"It can wait."
"You said that fifteen minutes ago."
She let out a soft breath, though there was no real annoyance in it.
"You're very persistent."
"I have to be."
That earned a small laugh from her.
It didn't last long—but it was real.
Adrian watched her for a moment, his expression softening slightly. "You've been quiet today."
"I've been thinking."
"That's never a good sign."
Liora tilted her head slightly, studying him. "You say that like it's dangerous."
"It is," he replied. "You start thinking too much, and suddenly I'm being questioned for things I didn't even do."
She smiled faintly. "You're safe. For now."
"I don't like the sound of that."
The silence that followed wasn't uncomfortable.
It rarely was between them.
"You're nervous," Adrian said after a moment.
Liora didn't answer immediately.
She looked back out at the city, her gaze distant now.
"…It's just a lot," she admitted.
There was no need to explain what she meant.
The engagement had been announced weeks ago. Plans had already begun forming around them—venues, dates, expectations. Everything moving forward, faster than she had fully processed.
Adrian didn't interrupt.
He simply listened.
"I thought it would feel different," she continued quietly. "More… certain."
"And it doesn't?"
She hesitated.
"It does," she said finally. "Just not the way I expected."
He nodded once, as if that answer made sense.
Because it did.
Nothing about life moved exactly the way people expected it to.
"Hey," he said gently.
She turned slightly.
"You don't have to have everything figured out right now."
His tone wasn't dismissive.
It was steady.
Reassuring.
"We have time," he added.
Liora looked at him for a moment longer than necessary.
Then she nodded.
"Yeah," she said softly. "We do."
Inside the apartment, the soft glow of warm lighting filled the space. The table had already been set—simple, but elegant. Adrian had insisted on cooking himself, despite knowing she would've been perfectly fine ordering something instead.
"You're still not getting out of eating," he called from the kitchen.
"I wasn't planning to."
"You were thinking about it."
"I wasn't."
"You definitely were."
Liora walked back inside, the faintest hint of amusement returning to her expression.
"Do you always argue with things you can't prove?" she asked.
"I don't need proof. I know you."
She paused slightly at that.
Not because the words were strange—
but because of how easily he said them.
"I hope so," she replied.
Dinner passed quietly.
Not silent—just calm.
They talked about small things. Work. Plans. A few details about the upcoming weeks. Nothing heavy. Nothing that required too much thought.
It was comfortable.
Familiar.
Safe.
Afterward, Liora moved toward the living room, settling onto the couch as she reached for her phone absentmindedly.
The screen lit up.
No notifications.
She stared at it for a second longer than necessary.
Then placed it down beside her.
"Something wrong?" Adrian asked.
She shook her head. "No."
It wasn't a lie.
But it wasn't entirely true either.
There had been something—
earlier.
A call.
Unknown number.
She hadn't answered it.
Didn't think much of it at the time.
But now—
it lingered.
"Probably nothing," she murmured to herself.
"What is?" Adrian asked.
She looked up at him, then shook her head again.
"Just a missed call."
"Spam?"
"Most likely."
He nodded, not questioning it further.
But Liora's gaze drifted back to the phone.
The number wasn't saved.
No name.
No message.
Just a call.
She picked it up again, staring at the screen.
For a moment—
she considered calling back.
Then stopped.
"…Not worth it," she said quietly.
She placed the phone down again.
This time, she didn't look at it.
Outside, the city remained calm.
Unchanged.
But somewhere—
unseen—
something had already begun.
And Liora had no idea—
that a single missed call—
would soon become something she could never ignore.
End of Chapter 1