chapter 1

Mornings were never gentle for Attorney Yna Reyes.

They always came like a storm loud, urgent, and uninvited.

Her phone vibrated nonstop in her hand as she hurried down the hallway of the justice building, heels clicking in sharp, impatient echoes. The police officer handling her case had sent five messages in the last two minutes, each one more urgent than the last. Her heart raced with the pressure of it all deadlines, hearings, reports, the lives depending on her decisions.

She didn’t even notice the world around her.

Not the approaching footsteps.

Not the solid shadow coming her way.

Not the disaster about to happen.

Until it did.

Yna walked straight into a wall or at least something that felt like one. Her body jolted backward, breath escaping her lungs. She would’ve hit the floor if a firm hand hadn’t caught her arm.

A low, annoyed voice followed.

“Hey. You should really watch where you’re going.”

Yna blinked, stunned. Several seconds passed before she processed what just happened.

She looked up and the first thing she noticed was how tall he was. Tall enough that she had to slightly lift her chin just to meet his eyes. And those eyes… sharp, steady, clearly unimpressed. His jaw was defined, his hair perfectly messy the kind of face that could ruin a woman’s focus on any normal day.

But this was not a normal day.

“I… I’m sorry,” Yna said quickly, straightening up. “I’m in a hurry.”

“Too important to look in front of you?” he replied, raising a brow.

Something inside her snapped. Not anger… just exhaustion. She didn’t have the time or energy to argue with a stranger over a hallway accident.

“I already said sorry,” she replied, voice cool. “Excuse me.”

She walked away before he could respond, her heart still beating too fast not from the collision, but from the embarrassment of losing her balance right in front of a man like that. She didn’t look back. She didn’t want to.

But as she reached the elevator, she realized her hands were trembling a little.

Why?

He was just a stranger. A rude one. A handsome one, yes, but still a stranger.

She pushed the moment out of her mind and continued with her day, burying herself in paperwork, hearings, and responsibilities that felt heavier with each passing hour.

Yet somehow… every now and then… his face slipped into her thoughts.

The way he looked at her.

The slight tilt of his head.

That voice—deep, irritated, unforgettable.

It was ridiculous. She met countless people every week. She had no time for distractions, especially those wearing annoyingly attractive faces.

So Yna did what she always did. She ignored the feeling. She shut it down.

She convinced herself she would never see him again.

---

Months passed.

Life returned to its usual rhythm: cases, late nights, coffee she didn’t even like but still drank, and the familiar weight of responsibility on her shoulders. She didn’t realize how exhausted she was until the day her secretary stepped into her office with a soft knock.

“Ma’am, you have a new client waiting outside.”

“Let them in,” Yna said without looking up from her files.

She was expecting another complaint, another request for legal help, another stranger in need of the justice system to work in their favor.

She wasn’t expecting him.

When she heard the quiet sound of someone clearing their throat, she finally lifted her head.

Her breath stopped.

It was the man from the hallway.

The same sharp eyes.

The same confident posture.

The same face she had tried unsuccessfully to forget.

Except now, he wasn’t irritated.

He wasn’t rushed.

He wasn’t a passing moment.

He was sitting in front of her. In her office. Looking directly at her with an expression she couldn’t read.

“You’re… the guy I bumped into,” she blurted out before she could stop herself.

One side of his mouth lifted slightly. Not a full smile, just a trace of one. “Yes. And I owe you an apology for how I reacted that day. I wasn’t in a good mood, but it wasn’t your fault.”

He looked sincere. Unexpectedly sincere.

Yna, who could argue with anyone in a courtroom without hesitation, suddenly found herself unsure how to respond.

“It’s… fine,” she said. “Don’t worry about it.”

For a moment, the room felt strangely quiet. Like the world had paused, waiting for something she couldn’t predict.

He leaned forward, resting his hands on his knees. “Actually, I’m not here because of a case.”

“Oh?” She straightened instinctively. “Then… what brings you here?”

He hesitated—not in fear, but as if he was choosing the right words. His eyes held something warm, steady, and incredibly disarming.

“I came here because I wanted to see you again.”

Yna’s heartbeat stumbled.

But he wasn’t finished.

“And because…” His voice softened, but didn’t waver. “I want to be part of your future.”

Her mind blanked.

There were confessions, and then there was this—a direct, fearless declaration that made her forget how to breathe. She stared at him, unable to form a single sentence. In that silence, she felt something loosen inside her… something she had kept locked away for years.

A stranger shouldn’t be able to shake her.

A stranger shouldn’t make her heart react like this.

But he wasn’t a stranger anymore.

And as their eyes held, Yna realized something she wasn’t ready to admit this man had just changed something inside her. Something she didn’t even know could still move. Her safe, controlled world had shifted.

She didn’t know whether to run away… or take one step closer.

She swallowed hard, searching for a rational response. “Why me? There are there must be a thousand reasons you should leave me alone.”

He smiled, gentle this time, understanding. “I could list a thousand, but I only need one. You.”

Yna’s lips pressed into a thin line, trying to ignore the flutter in her chest. “And what if I say no?”

“Then I respect that,” he said quietly. “I won’t ask again. Not unless you want me to.”

Her fingers fiddled with the edge of her folder. She wanted to look away, but curiosity anchored her gaze. “You’re… persistent.”

“I’m willing to be,” he replied. “Because some things are worth waiting for. Some people… are worth it.”

For the first time in a long while, Yna felt something she couldn’t name. A dangerous, thrilling possibility. She didn’t have to respond now. She didn’t have to decide. But she could feel the walls around her heart tremble, just a little.

She drew in a slow breath. “I need time,” she admitted, voice soft but firm.

He nodded, as if he had expected no less. “Take all the time you need. I’ll be here when you’re ready.”

And with that, he stood, gave a polite nod, and left.

Yna sat back, her fingers brushing the bouquet of papers in front of her without really noticing. Her chest felt tight, and yet… lighter.

For the first time in a long while, she realized that some encounters weren’t fleeting. Some people didn’t just pass through life unnoticed. And some strangers—tall, infuriating, impossibly honest strangers—had a way of claiming your attention, whether you liked it or not.

She didn’t know what the future held. She didn’t know if she would allow herself to feel more than caution and control. But as she turned back to her work, her heart refused to settle.

And for the first time in a long time, Yna Reyes wasn’t sure she wanted it to.