Chapter 2— An Unexpected Invitation

"Robin's POV"

I stood in front of my bathroom mirror, adjusting the collar of my button-down for the third time.

The deep blue fabric brought out my eyes, and I'd actually bothered to style my hair instead of letting it fall wherever gravity decided.

Turner's nephew was turning seven, and apparently that required a full-scale event at some fancy venue downtown.

Turner Rial had been my friend for two years now, ever since we met at a community workshop.

Despite coming from serious money, he was the most down-to-earth guy I knew. But his family? They did everything big.

The venue was exactly what I expected. High ceilings, elegant decorations, and a dessert table that looked like something out of a magazine.

Kids in designer clothes ran around while adults sipped champagne and made polite conversation. I felt out of place the second I walked in.

Turner spotted me almost immediately and pulled me into a hug. "You made it! Come on, let me introduce you around."

I followed him through the crowd, shaking hands with relatives whose names I forgot instantly. I was mid-conversation with Turner's aunt about her recent trip to Costa Rica when I saw him.

Christopher Hall.

My heart stopped.

He sat in a corner of the room with two large men who were clearly bodyguards.

He looked exactly like he had at Golden Anchor Homes: immaculate suit, perfectly styled hair, that air of controlled authority.

He was scrolling through his phone, barely acknowledging the party around him.

What the hell was he doing here?

"Robin? You okay?" Turner's voice pulled me back.

"Yeah, I just..." I gestured vaguely toward Christopher. "I know that guy."

Turner followed my gaze and grinned. "Oh, Christopher? He's family. Well, sort of. My sister married his brother. Or did my brother marry his sister? I always get it confused." He laughed.

"He doesn't usually come to these things. Must be a slow day at the office."

I barely heard the rest of what Turner said. My eyes kept drifting back to Christopher, and then, as if he could feel my stare, he looked up.

Our eyes locked across the room.

Everything else faded. The music, the chatter, the children shrieking near the dessert table. It was just the two of us, caught in a moment that felt far too intimate for a crowded party.

Christopher's expression shifted. Surprise, then something I couldn't quite read. He sat up straighter, his phone forgotten in his hand.

I should look away. I really should look away.

I didn't.

Christopher stood, said something to his bodyguards, and started moving through the crowd. Towards me.

My pulse kicked into overdrive.

"I need some air," I told Turner quickly.

"You just got here."

But I was already walking toward the hallway, needing space to think, to breathe, to figure out why my brain was short-circuiting over a man I'd met once.

I found a quiet corner near the bathrooms and leaned against the wall, closing my eyes.

"Running away already?"

I opened my eyes to find Christopher standing a few feet away, hands in his pockets, expression carefully neutral.

But there was something in his eyes. Amusement, maybe. Or curiosity.

"I'm not running," I said, straightening. "Just needed a break from the noise."

"Understandable. These parties can be overwhelming."

"You don't seem like the type to get overwhelmed."

His lips twitched. "Appearances can be deceiving."

Silence settled between us, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It hummed with something I couldn't quite name.

"I didn't expect to see you here," Christopher said finally.

"Same. Small world, I guess."

"Or fate."

My breath caught. Was he flirting with me? No. I was reading into things again, seeing what I wanted to see instead of what was actually there.

Christopher stepped closer, close enough that I could smell his cologne, something woody and expensive.

"Your work at Golden Anchor has been impressive. We're planning to keep you on for future projects."

"I appreciate that."

"Actually..." He hesitated, and for the first time, he looked almost uncertain.

"I have something at my apartment that needs fixing. A shelf that came loose. I was wondering if you'd be available to take a look."

I blinked. "You want me to come to your apartment?"

"If you have time. I'd pay your standard rate, of course. Plus travel expenses."

This was weird, right? CEOs didn't personally hire handymen for home repairs. They had people for that. Assistants. Property managers. Someone.

But Christopher was looking at me with those dark eyes, and I found myself nodding before my brain could catch up.

"Yeah. Sure. I can do that."

"Excellent." He pulled out his phone. "Give me your number. I'll have my driver pick you up tomorrow. Around four?"

I rattled off my number, watching as he saved it. This was actually happening.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then," Christopher said, and there was something in his voice, something warm and almost hopeful, that made my chest tighten.

"Yeah. Tomorrow."

He walked away, disappearing back into the party. I stayed in the hallway, staring at nothing, my mind racing.

My phone buzzed. A text from Mitchell asking where I was. I ignored it and headed back to the party, forcing smiles and making small talk while one thought kept circling through my mind.

Tomorrow. Four o'clock. Christopher's apartment.

Whatever this was, it was about to get complicated.

"Christopher's POV"

I watched Robin disappear into the crowd, my heart pounding in a way it hadn't in years.

What are you doing?

The question echoed in my head, but I already knew the answer. I was being reckless. Selfish. Crossing lines I'd promised myself I'd never cross.

But when I'd seen Robin standing in that hallway, looking unfairly attractive in that blue shirt, every rational thought had fled.

All I could think about was how badly I wanted to talk to him. To be near him. To see if the connection I'd felt at Golden Anchor Homes was real or just my imagination running wild.

And now he was coming to my apartment tomorrow.

I pulled out my phone and texted James, my driver, giving him Robin's address and pickup time.

Then I stood there in the empty hallway, trying to calm the nervous energy thrumming through my veins.

This was dangerous. I knew that. My life was already complicated enough without adding someone like Robin into it. Someone genuine and warm and completely unaware of the cage I lived in.

But I couldn't seem to stop myself.

Tomorrow couldn't come fast enough.