Chapter 1: THE MAN I WASN'T SUPPOSED TO MEET
Maya Bennett had learned that some mornings were warnings.
This was one of them.
Her coffee had spilled on her blouse, her phone had died at exactly 7:42 a.m., and the taxi driver had somehow managed to miss the same building three times.
By the time Maya stepped into the lobby of Carter House, she was already late.
She straightened her blazer and walked toward reception.
“I'm here for the project interview.”
The receptionist smiled politely. “Mr. Carter is expecting you.”
Of course he was.
Maya followed her upstairs.
The conference room was surrounded by glass walls overlooking the city. A man stood with his back toward her, studying a set of architectural drawings.
“Maya Bennett?”
She stopped.
He turned.
Tall. Immaculately dressed. Dark hair. Calm eyes.
And an expression that suggested he had already found several reasons not to like her.
“Elias Carter,” he said.
Maya extended her hand.
He looked at it for half a second before shaking it.
“You're late.”
Maya glanced at the clock.
“By four minutes.”
“Five.”
“Then your clock is faster than mine.”
Something almost resembling amusement crossed his face.
Almost.
He sat down.
“I read your proposal.”
“And?”
“I disagreed with most of it.”
Maya smiled.
“Then I'm guessing you invited me here because you enjoy disagreement.”
“No.”
He opened the folder.
“I invited you because your proposal was the only one I couldn't stop thinking about.”
That caught her off guard.
Elias looked directly at her.
“The Meridian project has six months to succeed. You want to change the entire strategy.”
“I want to stop treating it like another building.”
His eyes narrowed.
“And what exactly do you think it is?”
Maya looked through the glass toward the city.
“A place people are supposed to remember.”
For the first time, Elias didn't immediately respond.
Then he closed the folder.
“Welcome to the project, Ms. Bennett.”
Maya blinked.
“That's it?”
“No.”
He stood.
“You start Monday.”
As she walked away, Maya heard him add quietly:
“And try not to be late.”
She turned.
“I'll try.”
She smiled.
“But I can't promise.”
For the first time, Elias Carter smiled too.
Neither of them knew it yet.
That was the moment everything began.
