A FRESH START

Chapter 3: A fresh start

Lucas did not move at all. He stood in the middle of the grocery aisle like time had stopped just for him. His phone was still in his hand, he was lost in thought .People walked past him, carts rolling, but none of it reached him.

All he could feel were his lips warm.

His heart was beating fast, harder than it ever did. His breath felt uneven, and that alone shocked him.That never happened.

Lucas Thorne was not a man who lost control.

He slowly raised his hand and touched his mouth, his fingers brushing lightly as if he needed proof that what just happened was real. His eyes darkened slightly.

A woman had kissed him.

Lucas turned his head toward the exit.

She was gone.

No hesitation,No looking back. She disappeared into the crowd as if she had never been there at all.

For a moment, something strange tightened in his chest; Confusion and curiosity. Lucas Thorne owned Omnicore Tech group, the top tech company in the city. His days were filled with schedules, contracts, and people who measured every word they said around him. He was respected,feared and untouchable.

Nothing in his life happened without reason.

And yet this had no explanation

Who was she?

Why did she look so scared?

Why did that kiss feel like it carried pain instead of desire?

"Sir?"

The voice cut through his thoughts.

Lucas turned, Marcus stood beside him, holding a small boy in his arms. The child was about five years old, fast asleep, his head resting against Marcus’s shoulder. One little shoe hung loosely from his foot, close to falling.marcus was Lucas's assistant. He studied Lucas's face carefully.

"Is everything okay?"he asked.

Lucas straightened at once. The familiar calm expression returned to his face, smooth and unreadable.

"Yes," he said after a short pause. "We’re leaving."

Marcus nodded immediately.

Lucas gave one last look toward the store entrance. His eyes scanned the area without him realizing it, as if searching for a familiar shape.

Nothing.Whoever she was, she was gone.

They walked out of the store together.

As they reached the car, Marcus carefully settled the sleeping boy into the back seat. Lucas stood there for a moment longer, staring back at the store as if he's waiting to see her.

As the car pulled away, Lucas leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes briefly. The image returned without effort, the fear in her eyes, the way her hands trembled, the soft and broken apology she whispered before running.

"I am so sorry."

Lucas opened his eyes.

For the first time in a long while, something had happened that he could not control.

And it bothered him more than he expected.

Lyra didn't stop running until her lungs burned and her legs felt weak.

She rushed into her apartment building, her hands shaking as she unlocked the door. The moment she stepped inside, she slammed it shut and leaned against it, breathing hard.

Her heart was still racing.

"What is wrong with me?" she whispered.

She slid down onto the floor, hugging her knees to her chest. Her mind replayed everything .

The store,Stephen with Mia and the kiss with the strange man.

Her face burned with embarrassment, her stomach twisting tightly.

"I kissed a stranger," she muttered. "I actually kissed a stranger."

She buried her face in her hands.

She had never done anything like that before. She wasn't reckless,she was very careful,but fear had taken over.

Slowly, she stood up and walked into her living room.

She dropped onto the couch and stared at the ceiling.

He must think I'm crazy, she thought.

The idea made her chest tighten.

What if he was angry? What if he followed her? What if he told someone?

She shook her head quickly.

"No,"she whispered. "He doesn't know me. I don’t know him. That's the end of it."

Still, her heart refused to calm down.

The memory of his shocked eyes stayed with her. The warmth she hadn't felt in days. The strange safety in those few seconds.It scared her.

She hugged a pillow tightly and closed her eyes, trying to push the moment away. She told herself it meant nothing. It was just panic. Just a mistake.

A moment that would fade.

Then her phone buzzed.Lyra flinched

She opened her eyes and stared at the screen. It was a notification.Slowly, she reached for the phone, her fingers trembling slightly.

New Email Notification

Her breath caught.

She frowned and opened it.

Her eyes moved over the words once.

Then again.

Her heart skipped.

Dear Lyra,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected…

She sat up straight.

Her hands shook as she read the email carefully, afraid she was imagining it. But the words didn't change.

She had gotten the job.

A position at Serenity Healing Clinic.

For a moment, she couldn't breathe.

Then a small, broken laugh escaped her lips as tears filled her eyes.

After a week of pain, silence, and lossthis had happened.

A job.

A new beginning and a reason to move forward.

She pressed the phone to her chest, her heart pounding again, but this time it wasn't fear.

It was hope.