Chapter 1

Vivienne Kane painted at 4 a.m. because sleep always brought back the bad memories.

Studio 412 was quiet except for the buzz of the lights overhead. The room smelled of turpentine, oil, and paint. She stood barefoot on the drop cloth in her paint-covered overalls. Her black hair was tied up in a messy knot, a few strands sticking to her sweaty neck. Her skin looked pale under the bright lights, her face sharp and serious.

The canvas in front of her showed piece twelve of her series *Shatter & Mend*. It was a woman’s body cut down the middle. One side was fixed with thin gold lines. The other side fell apart into black paint that dripped down. She picked up a wide brush, dipped it in dark blue, and pulled it across the break in one slow line. The color spread into the cracks.

Six weeks left until her final exhibition. Six weeks to show everyone that the guy who stole her ideas and laughed about it hadn’t destroyed her.

Her phone lit up on the stool. Marcus.

Marcus: You’re still there?

Vivi: Yes.

Marcus: Go home and sleep.

Vivi: Not yet.

She kept working. The sky outside the windows turned from black to gray. At 6:51 a.m. she stepped back. The woman’s eyes still looked too soft. She would fix them later. She cleaned her brushes carefully, put everything away, locked the supplies, and left with her hood up and earbuds in (no music playing).

The walk back to East Tower took twelve minutes. Campus was starting to wake up—people jogging, bikes passing. She kept her head down.

In her dorm room she dropped her bag, kicked off her shoes, and fell onto the bed in her overalls. Paint flakes fell on the sheets. She stared at the ceiling and waited for the usual tight feeling in her chest.

It came, but slower today.

At 10:37 a.m. her phone screamed with an emergency alert.

**EMERGENCY HOUSING NOTICE**

East Tower flooded. All residents go to Housing Services now.

Water. Her dorm. Her things.

She grabbed her portfolio tubes first, then suitcases and laptop. She ran down four flights of stairs past shouting students and water on the floor.

At the desk: “My portfolios are on the fourth floor.”

“We’re getting what we can. You’re assigned to 214 Oakwood Lane. Keys in fifteen minutes.”

“Shared?”

“Only one left.”

She took the key and the address.

She walked through the mist to the off-campus building. Trees lined the street. She put the key in the lock of 214, turned it, and pushed the door open.

Music came from inside—upbeat with strong bass. The place smelled like coffee, cooking, and clean sweat.

In the kitchen a man turned around.

He was tall—six-foot-four—broad, dirty-blond hair still wet from a shower, hoodie stretched tight. He was stirring sauce and humming.

He looked at her and smiled big—warm, with dimples, a cut on his lip, a bruise on his jaw.

“Hey,” he said, wiping his hands on a towel. “You must be Vivi. I’m Asher. Welcome.”

She stood frozen in the doorway, holding her portfolios tight.

“This is temporary,” she said, voice low and hard. “No friends. No talking. I need quiet and space. Pretend I’m not here. I have important work. Clear?”

Asher’s smile stayed, but his eyes changed—curious, interested.

“Clear,” he said softly. “Second door on the left. I cleaned it out. Good light in there.”

Vivi walked past him without another word. The door shut behind her.

She went straight to the room. It had a big window with sunlight, bare walls, a made bed, empty desk.

She set up her easel under the window, put the canvas on it, laid out her brushes.

Asher turned the music down a little.

She painted until 1:14 a.m., then cleaned up, left the desk lamp on low, and lay down in her clothes.

Asher sat in the dark living room, listening to the faint brush sounds from her room.

When the light under her door got dim but didn’t go out, he stood up.

He walked quietly down the hall and stopped at her door.

A thin line of gold light came from under it.

He looked through the small crack.

She stood under the lamp, back to him, painting with strong, focused movements.

His heart stopped for three seconds.

Then it started again—faster.

He stepped back quietly and went to his room.

Vivi felt something on the back of her neck.

She paused her brush.

She didn’t turn around.

She kept painting.

But her hand shook just a little.