Chapter 1
She Wasn't Supposed To
Kaelith POV
I didn't want to be at that wedding.
Crowded rooms, lights too bright, too dazzling. Endless smiles. Performative. Small talk that barely grazed the surface of anyone's mind. None of that interested me personally. If it were for business and network, then yes. I would work the room as required. Tonight, I had other priorities.
I was an entrepreneur and together with my best friend and business partner, we had turned a start-up into a successful business. Days ago, I was deep into the final stages of developing a new app. Beta testing. Final stages. The kind of critical window that demanded my every available brain cell.
The launch was scheduled only a few weeks away. Every hour I spent in this room was an hour the app didn't have me. That was the real cost of tonight. Not really the small talk or the noise. The time.
Millions were already promised to roll in. It had happened consistently in the past. Yet here I was, chained to my sister Ana's whims. She had no one to be her plus one at her best friend's wedding. Asked me to be her date, and of course I couldn't say no. Never could.
Besides, my presence gave our parents peace of mind. Their youngest, early twenties, gallivanting all alone across Europe? Not on my watch. I was the unofficial bodyguard, chaperon, and yes, designated responsible adult. That early call during the day with our parents reminded me of my duty. Somehow that role suited me, even if I didn't want to admit it.
I liked control. Predictability. Making sure things ran smoothly. Chaos was fine on a spreadsheet or in code. I would be able to turn it into whatever pattern I needed. In life? Not so much.
While I was brooding, Ana was having the merriest time of her life, twirling across the dance floor with the kind of abandon most people would reserve for weekend getaways or vacations. She radiated joy constantly, in a way that made people lean in, want to be near her. I admired her, even if I sometimes found her demeanor exhausting. That was her youthful self-expression.
All four of us siblings were fiercely independent.
Two older brothers already settled, domesticated, content.
Ana and I were the most attuned. The holdouts.
She saw through me in ways our brothers never bothered to try. I loved her for it. It frustrated me for the same reason. You couldn't perform for someone who already knew you inside out.
Not ready to commit, because we had other priorities. Her by choice. Her studies, friends, partying were her focus.
Me by design. Addicted to my work, married to the job.
Casual dating. No more, no less. The ladies knew the score. I made sure they understood that part.
We brothers were also notoriously protective of her. Tiptoed around her like she was fragile glass. She was the star in the universe we gravitated around. Even me. Guilty as charged.
I was nursing a drink, untouched. I didn't need it. My head had to remain clear. I took my responsibility seriously, always had. A single misstep could spiral, and I wasn't about to let it happen. Especially not here. Not tonight.
An ocean separated us from home. Familiar enough with travel. Not familiar enough with being in a vulnerable situation, being responsible for someone I love in unfamiliar territory.
I scanned the room without really looking at it.
Crystal chandeliers reflected light that didn't matter to me. They could have been absent entirely and I wouldn't have noticed. Music thumped in the background, fading into white noise. A mix of perfume, flower scent, and sweat mingled in the air in a way that made my brain itch. I was too aware of everything and nothing all at once.
My mind pinged only with code, algorithms, potential tweaks to the app, reminders to call my partner, tasks I hadn't delegated yet. Life outside this room existed in grids and logic, and it was demanding my attention.
People tried to interact, especially the ladies. Not tonight. Ana's well-being was the priority. I had danced with her several times, made sure her glass held enough water, not only expensive champagne. We already had a private dinner prior to the reception party. I left her most of the night to her circle of buoyant friends.
Polite nods, small talk, introductions. The bare minimum. I gave the briefest responses, polite but efficient, and moved on.
I recognized the familiar signals. Interest. Evaluation. Curiosity. None of it held my attention.
Focus was my weapon and my shield. I wasn't here to flirt, to charm, or to impress. Not tonight.
And then the night shifted. I noticed her. A double take. Unprogrammed. Unscheduled. Not in a dramatic, storybook way. My brain first noted her presence like it would an anomaly in a pattern.
Movements measured, lighter than the others, precise but effortless, as if she belonged to a separate layer of the world. And then, in a fraction of a second, I registered her. Completely.
Her presence did something my mind wasn't prepared for. Something constricted at heart level. The chatter dulled to a whirring. Music faded. Lights dimmed. I had been trained to notice patterns, bugs, risks. Definitely an anomaly.
She was commanding the room without trying to. In a space full of people performing, her presence was the oasis.
The way she carried herself, like she knew exactly what she wanted and didn't need anyone to give permission. With a purpose. Mindful steps. My mind, usually a racing engine of tasks and calculations, briefly assessed. Confusion. Curiosity. And something else I wasn't ready to name settled in.
I hadn't spoken to her. Didn't know her name, where she came from, or why she had that energy. And yet it pulled. A guest, but whose? From which sides of the wedding? There was a pull, subtle but undeniable. A curiosity. A question. A challenge.
I caught my reflection in the mirror across the room. Straightened my posture. Hair slightly messy, eyes bloodshot from late nights, tuxedo perfectly tailored, expression neutral. All the signs of a man who controlled everything in his life except this one thing. Beneath the neutral expression, something hummed.
She had managed to penetrate my mental perimeter without so much as a word. Without a look from her.
I sipped my untouched drink and shook my head. That was impossible. I didn't let things like this happen. Logic. Strategy. None of those things applied to her.
One thought surfaced uninvited.
Would she say yes? If I made my move?
First time not to have a clear answer. I filed it and moved on.
And then she smiled, just slightly. As if she knew. A barely there nod. Walked away. And in that fraction of a second, I understood that this night, this encounter, was not going to be ordinary. It would be brief. Fleeting. It would leave a mark. One I wouldn't be able to ignore.
My nervous system responded eagerly. A slight trembling of my hands. Rare occurrence. I took one breath. Then another. Silent. Controlled. The glass steadied.
The music played on. Ana laughed somewhere behind me. The chandeliers kept their indifferent stance. Nothing in the room had shifted.
In mine? Everything had. My universe just did.<
