5

Alexander stood at the head of the table, eyes on the massive blueprint stretched across it. His tone was calm but firm as he spoke.

“This section needs to be shifted. The line work is good, but it’s crowding the exterior walkway.”

He picked up a red marker, circled a corner, and added, “Push this back by half a meter and rework the alignment here. I want a better flow.”

“Yes, sir,” someone responded quickly, already adjusting the notes.

He moved around the table, scanning details, flipping through pages, correcting a scale error in another file. The man moved like someone who owned the space…because he did. He wasn’t just the boss. He was the reason the company had become one of the most respected architectural firms in the city. Projects lined the shelves and wall, models of high-rises, bridges, private homes…each one stamped with his signature vision.

He was just reaching for his phone when he caught the shift in atmosphere outside his office.

Voices dropped. Eyes shifted.

Then she appeared.

The woman walking into the firm didn’t hesitate. She was tall, elegant, confident. Her outfit was expensive, her makeup perfect without being loud, and she walked like she knew exactly how beautiful she was…and that everyone else knew it too. Her presence practically demanded attention. And she got it.

People looked. People whispered.

She barely noticed.

June Holloway walked straight through the office, her eyes fixed ahead, and stopped in front of Alexander’s glass-walled office. She tapped once on the door.

Alexander glanced up, brows rising in slight surprise.

She smiled.

He opened the door, stepping out. “June?”

She smiled more fully. “Hey. Thought I’d stop by.”

His expression softened. “Wow. Long time.”

“Yeah,” she said. “Five years or so.”

He nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“I just moved back into town. Figured I’d say hi. Our mothers still talk, you know.”

He let out a quiet chuckle. “Right. I remember.”

They’d never been close. Their mothers were friends, that was all. She’d always been around at family events and gatherings growing up, but they’d never really talked beyond the surface. Still, it was a surprise…one that felt oddly pleasant.

“You look good,” he said genuinely. “Really good.”

“Thank you,” she replied, voice smooth and light, her smile settling in place like it had been waiting.

“You have a minute?” he asked. “We could grab coffee downstairs.”

She lit up a little. “Sure.”

They walked through the office side by side, his team watching from the corner of their eyes as the ever-focused Alexander strolled beside the striking woman no one seemed to recognize.

The café downstairs was quiet, all clean lines and warm lighting. A calm escape from the buzz upstairs.

He ordered a black coffee. June asked for a matcha latte. They found a spot by the window, sunlight spilling over the table between them.

“So,” Alexander said, stirring his drink. “What brought you back?”

June looked at him, her expression unreadable for a second. Then, she said softly, “You.”

Alexander paused, the spoon clinking against the side of his cup. “Me?”

“I missed you,” she said, her eyes never leaving his. “I know we weren’t exactly close, but I did. For a long time.”

He blinked, clearly caught off guard. “June… I mean, we hardly knew each other.”

“I know,” she said quickly. “I know it sounds crazy. But even back then… I always noticed you. And you were always so distant. So unreachable. I didn’t say anything because I didn’t think you’d care.”

He leaned back slightly, his fingers wrapped around his cup. His expression was gentle, but visibly confused.

“June,” he said after a moment, “I’m married now. I got married just over a month ago.”

Her smile didn’t falter. “I know.”

“Then…”

“I don’t care,” she said quietly, but firmly. “I had to come back. I had to try. Even if it’s just once.”

He sat still, silent, unsure of what to say.

Then, without warning, she leaned forward across the small table. Her hand brushed the side of his coffee cup, knocking it over as she reached for him.

The coffee spilled across the table.

And her lips met his.