Kira was still talking about what had happened. Her mind raced with fragments of the chaos that had unfolded over the past few days. Her brows furrowed deeply, eyes flicking from one thought to another as she struggled to understand the whirlwind her life had become. It was like being caught in a storm with no clear direction — everything zigzagged and collided with each other. Nothing made sense."How... how is this even possible?" she whispered more to herself than to Cooper, her voice laced with disbelief. "What the hell is going on in my life?"Her words weren't just rhetorical. They were desperate. Painful. Like a person trying to wake up from a nightmare only to realize they were wide awake. She clenched her fists on the table, her nails digging into her palms to ground herself in the present.Cooper sat across from her in the dimly lit corner of the restaurant. His jaw was tight, his eyes dark and unreadable, but beneath the surface was a storm of guilt. He knew this moment wou
Who does she think she is? What was going through her mind, thinking she could just take whatever she wanted—like life was a buffet laid out just for her? Even though things hadn't worked out for Eva in the past, she still clung to this fragile hope, this stubborn faith that by the grace of God, obstacles could be removed. Even if not by her own doing, then perhaps by the invisible hands of fate—or by someone else entirely.And if things turned out to be true, truly messy, truly dangerous, then she needed someone. Not just anyone, but someone powerful. Someone who could stand beside her when Cooper—or any of his enemies—tried something stupid.Then, as if summoned by her very thoughts, she saw him.A stranger.Dressed in a sleek black suit, complete with black sunglasses, leaning casually against a glossy black car. His presence made no sense in the dry, suffocating heat that danced across the concrete. Who wore a full suit in this kind of weather
No... I must have died.That was the only thing Eva could think as she crouched on the cold, tiled floor, trembling. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears, but she couldn’t tell if it was still alive in her chest or echoing in her imagination. The moment had frozen, like the whole world held its breath with her. Her lungs stung as if they'd forgotten how to breathe. Her fingers trembled against her lips. The echo of the gunshot still rang in her mind.Why is my heart still beating? Why does it feel like I’m alive?But she didn’t feel alive. Not really. She felt like a shadow, clinging to life by a thread. She had heard the shot. She had felt the wind shift, had heard the sharp crack of the bullet tearing through the air. She had screamed silently, clutched her face, dropped to her knees, and waited for the pain. For death.But it never came.Why is nothing hurting? Why does it feel like I’m still breathing? Why did he shoot, but I’m not ble
Kira couldn't believe what she had just heard. Her ears rang, as though reality had slapped her across the face. Her heartbeat thundered in her chest, and her breath hitched. "Did they just call Eva... his girlfriend?" The words echoed in her mind, and her stomach twisted painfully.Her lips parted as she turned slowly to Cooper, disbelief clouding her expression. The man she had grown to trust, the man who made her heart flutter, was this all just a lie? A cruel game?She clenched her fists, her voice trembling. "Wait... did I hear that right, Cooper? Your girlfriend?"Cooper's face shifted, his features tightening as if he were caught in headlights. He raised his hands, trying to calm the storm brewing in her eyes. "No. Kira, no. It's not what you're thinking. She's not my—"But before he could finish, Eva’s voice cut in, sharp and sugary. She stepped forward, her red lips curled in a wicked smile, her eyes glinting with malicious delight. "Of c
Kira couldn’t contain her anger—her chest rose and fell heavily as she paced the narrow hallway. The betrayal stung deeper than she’d anticipated. Her best friend had crossed a line that could never be uncrossed. She had stolen Kira’s identity for months, just to be with a man—Cooper. A man Kira had seen first, saved that night at the party, and barely even had a chance to get close to.Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, her knuckles turning white. She still couldn’t wrap her head around how Eva had the audacity to pretend to be her. To lie so convincingly. Yet, deep down, a part of Kira wasn’t truly surprised. Eva had always been like this—possessive, entitled, a woman who believed the world owed her everything.Kira blinked rapidly, fighting back the tears threatening to spill. “She doesn’t care about me anymore,” she muttered to herself. “She’s willing to crush me just to get what she wants.”She sat impatiently, her gaze fixed on the front door, waiting for Cooper to retu
And now, he was standing right in front of her, eyes narrowed in suspicion, confusion etched into every angle of his sculpted face. Cooper’s brows pulled together, his voice low and laced with tension.“Who are you?” he asked again, his tone edged with something fragile—like betrayal trying to mask itself as curiosity. “How do you know so much about my family?”Kira’s mouth opened, but no sound came. Her pulse was a frantic drum. Her palms were clammy. She couldn’t tell him everything. Not now. Maybe not ever. Would he even believe her?“I—” she stammered. Her throat felt dry. “I don’t… I don’t know what to say.”Cooper’s eyes searched her face. “You better start talking.”Swallowing hard, Kira summoned the courage buried deep inside her. Her voice quivered, but her gaze met his with a rare steadiness.“What are you even trying to accuse me of, Cooper? I’m trying to save your life,” she said.He blinked, surprised. His l
It came to Kira’s curious mind—the memory, hazy but persistent, began to resurface. That night. The first time she met him. The first time their paths crossed in such an unusual, unforgettable way.Her heart thudded as the fragments pieced themselves together. A party, bright lights, her best friend Eva by her side. She was younger then, pure-hearted, her soul untouched by betrayal or disappointment. She’d been the kind of girl who believed in kindness, in helping others even when it didn’t benefit her. That night, she remembered seeing him—Cooper. Alone. Cornered. Vulnerable.The memory sharpened.A group of masked men had closed in on him. Something inside her screamed to act. Instinctively, without thinking, she grabbed him by the collar, crashed her lips against his, and held him in place. Her kiss was desperate, innocent, and selfless—a shield.She didn’t know back then that kiss would change everything.She had marked the faces of t
When Eva entered instead of Kira, Cooper's gut clenched. Something was wrong. The shift was too subtle for most to notice—the slight hesitation in her step, the awkward way she held the cupcake tray—but Cooper noticed. He had worked here nearly two months, and he knew Kira's style by heart. Her baking had a distinct signature—light, aromatic, always with a hint of cinnamon and citrus that lingered.Eva’s cupcakes were good, but they lacked that soul. And when she handed him one, his suspicion spiked. He took a bite, careful to hide his reaction. The flavor was off. It was... too sweet, and the texture was slightly dense. He knew that Kira would never make that mistake.He stared at Eva for a moment longer, watching her closely. Her smile didn’t reach her eyes.Something isn’t right.He made a mental note and excused himself, walking quickly toward the back of the café. He started searching—storage rooms, staff-only areas, the restrooms. Nothing. A
Cooper hadn’t seen Kira all day, and something about that didn’t sit right with him.She should have been here by now.She was never late—not for anything that involved him. Ever since she entered his life, Kira had this habit of keeping her promises. She was responsible, sharp, punctual to a fault. So where was she?His brows creased as he stepped out of the room, his heart hammering harder with each passing second. He felt off—as if something important had slipped through his fingers and he didn’t know what.“She should’ve been here already,” he muttered to himself, grabbing his phone for the tenth time in an hour.Still no response.Cooper didn’t waste another second. He called one of the vendors next to Kira’s restaurant, hoping for a clue. A woman picked up.“Hello?”“Yes, hi—this is Cooper Hale. I’m looking for Kira. She was supposed to be here a while ago, but I haven’t seen or heard from her.”