Chapter 1
Love Maze
Chapter 1: The Collision
Vienna’s POV
People always tell you to follow your dreams.
No one warns you that some dreams are heavier than others.
Mine?
Saving everyone else.
Animals. Strangers. Dreams that don’t even belong to me.
I’ve spent my life building homes for those who can’t ask for one—
puppies with broken legs, birds with clipped wings, people who leave but still echo in my mind.
And me?
I never built a home for myself.
Because I’m scared.
Scared of attachment.
Scared of comfort.
Scared of change—especially when it comes wrapped in people.
Because people change. And when they do… it breaks me louder than I’d like to admit.
My thoughts broke when the familiar chaos around me started to rise.
The shelter was louder than usual—puppies barking, a parrot screaming something that sounded like “HELLOOOO”, and a cat silently judging the world from the corner.
I crouched down, trying to coax a tiny, stubborn puppy to eat.
Me (muttering to the puppy):
“Come on, little warrior… If you don’t eat, I can’t tell the vet you’re improving… and then I’ll cry… and then I’ll probably adopt you and ruin my life.”
The puppy blinked at me.
I sighed.
I didn’t hear the door creak open.
Harrison:
“Uh… should I leave before the emotional breakdown, or…?”
I jerked up so fast I nearly headbutted the table.
A tall guy stood there with a grin and a bag of dog food.
Vienna:
“Wha—WHO—why are you here?”
Harrison:
“Delivery. For the doggos. And apparently for… the human talking to them like a motivational speaker.”
I squinted at him. He was annoyingly… calm.
And his voice had that warm, teasing tone I instantly wanted to mute.
Vienna (forcing a polite smile):
“Oh… hi. Um… thanks for the food. Really kind of you.”
Harrison (grinning):
“Wow. So sweet. Totally not sarcastic at all.”
Vienna (dropping the fake smile):
“Good. You caught that. Leave the bag and go.”
He blinked at me like I’d just told him his favorite song sucked.
Harrison:
“You always greet people like this? Or am I getting the VIP treatment?”
Before I could snap back, betrayal struck.
The parrot screamed “HELLOOOO”.
The puppy I’d been pleading with?
It wobbled toward Harrison… and licked his shoe.
Vienna:
“TRAITOR.”
Harrison (laughing):
“Well, seems like I’m popular here.”
As if the universe wanted to rub it in, my cat—Luna, my loyal shadow—jumped off the shelf and curled around Harrison’s leg like he’d been hers all along.
I crossed my arms, fuming.
Vienna:
“Unbelievable. My entire staff just defected to the enemy.”
Harrison (smirking):
“Maybe they just like people who smile.”
I glared. He smiled wider.
God, he was patient.
The kind of patient that made you want to throw a pillow at his face.
Somewhere in that messy, loud, ridiculous moment…
I had no idea my quiet life had just started to crack open.
