LINES OF CODE , FLAVORS OF FATE

The alarm kept ringing.

It was just another ordinary morning.

Maverick opened his eyes and stared at the glowing screen of his phone for a few seconds before finally silencing the alarm. He sat up slowly and pulled the curtains apart.

Sunlight poured into the room.

Outside stood the mansion everyone admired.

Inside, it was empty.

The house was large enough to hold a family, laughter, and memories, yet it held only silence. Once, he and his mother had lived there together. But even she had left, choosing to stay with his sister.

At twenty-eight, Maverick was a man many envied.

Tall, handsome, and successful.

The single restaurant his father had left behind had grown into a chain of twenty-five restaurants under his leadership. He had fulfilled every responsibility that had fallen onto his shoulders. He had ensured his sister’s marriage, expanded the family business, and built an empire from a dream.

Yet somewhere along the way, life had forgotten to ask what he wanted.

Responsibility had found him long before youth ever had.

Maverick was a man of principles strict, disciplined, and often misunderstood. People admired him, respected him, and sometimes feared him.

Very few truly knew him.

He was halfway through breakfast when his phone rang.

A smile appeared on the screen.

“Mom.”

He answered immediately.

“Sometimes you could call first, you know,” his mother complained the moment she heard his voice.

Maverick took a sip of coffee.

“You already called, didn’t you?”

His mother sighed dramatically.

“Son, find a nice girl and settle down already.”

Before he could respond, another familiar voice appeared in the background.

June.

His younger sister.

“Maverick!” she exclaimed. “If you can’t find someone, I’ll find her for you. Just tell me your type.”

Maverick closed his eyes for a brief second.

This conversation again.

Every single week.

“Fine,” he said at last, surrendering. “I’ll tell you my type.”

There was a moment of silence.

His mother and June immediately became attentive.

June nearly squealed.

“Finally!”

Maverick shook his head and continued eating.

“First of all, she should be someone who values family. A woman who can turn a house into a home.”

June rolled her eyes.

“So, a housewife?”

“Preferably.”

June groaned dramatically.

“You’re impossible.”

Ignoring her, Maverick continued.

“She should have long hair.”

“That’s your second requirement?” June laughed.

Maverick simply shrugged.

“And she shouldn’t be arrogant.”

His voice grew quieter.

“I don’t want someone loud or obsessed with attention.”

June exchanged a glance with their mother.

“And?”

Maverick stared into his coffee cup for a moment.

“She should be an introvert.”

“An introvert?” June repeated.

“Why?”

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

“Because my life is already noisy enough.”

For the first time, his voice carried something softer than usual.

“I want someone who brings peace into it.”

The teasing smile slowly disappeared from June’s face.

Maverick wasn’t joking anymore.

He wasn’t describing a woman.

He was describing a feeling.

A home.

A place where he could finally rest.

For a brief moment, silence settled between them.

Then June grinned mischievously.

“Okay, okay. Long hair. Introvert. No arrogance. Housewife material.”

She paused dramatically.

“Do you want a wife or a rare species?” June asked dramatically.

Maverick let out a quiet sigh.

“Both of you should really find a hobby.”

His mother laughed while June protested.

“Excuse me? We’re trying to save your future here.”

“My future is doing just fine.”

“Not your personal life.”

Maverick shook his head.

“Alright, enough. I have a meeting.”

Without waiting for another lecture, he ended the call.

The house fell silent once again.

Grabbing his bag from the dining table, he headed outside.

Five luxury cars stood parked in the driveway.

Yet his eyes immediately landed on the one he loved most.

His black Volkswagen.

It wasn’t the most expensive car he owned.

It wasn’t the fastest either.

But it was special.

It was the first car he had ever bought with his own money.

Back when success was still a dream instead of a reality.

A small smile appeared on his face as he unlocked it.

Some things never lost their value.

Moments later, he pulled out of the driveway and joined the morning traffic.

As soon as he settled into the driver’s seat, he dialed a familiar number.

The call was answered on the second ring.

“Where are you?” James asked immediately.

Maverick chuckled.

“Good morning to you too.”

“Stop wasting my time and answer the question.”

“I’m on my way.”

“Good.”

James paused.

“Meet me directly outside the software company.”

“Already there?”

“Of course. Unlike some people, I actually respect time.”

Maverick rolled his eyes.

“See you in twenty.”

Without another word, James ended the call.

Typical.

A smile tugged at Maverick’s lips.

James wasn’t just his best friend.

He was also his business partner.

The two had spent years building the restaurant chain together.

What had once been a single family owned restaurant had now expanded into twenty-five locations across England.

Success, however, brought its own problems.

Managing reservations, menus, customer feedback, promotions, and daily operations for twenty-five restaurants had become increasingly complicated.

Which was exactly why they were heading to one of the country’s leading software companies today.

They needed more than a website.

They needed a complete digital system.

A platform where customers could browse menus, make reservations, place orders, and interact with every branch seamlessly.

A project worth thousands of pounds.

A project that could change the future of their business.

As Maverick pulled into the parking lot, he spotted James standing near the entrance, checking his watch dramatically.

The moment he stepped out of the car, James pointed at it.

“You know, one day I’m stealing this Volkswagen.”

Maverick locked the car and smirked.

“What happened? We still have five minutes before nine. We’re not late.”

James rolled his eyes.

“Of course we’re not. You’re Prince Charles himself.”

“Glad you finally noticed.”

“Come on.”

The two headed toward the building and stepped into the elevator.

Just as the doors were about to close, a voice echoed from the hallway.

“Wait! Wait!”

A girl rushed toward them.

Shoulder-length hair.

A thick pair of glasses.

A coffee cup in one hand.

A laptop tucked under her arm.

A bag hanging from her shoulder, overflowing with files.

Dressed in baggy jeans and a white button-up shirt, she looked more exhausted than presentable.

Without waiting for permission, she squeezed into the elevator.

A phone was pressed against her ear.

“No, the final testing still isn’t done.”

She balanced the coffee dangerously while adjusting the laptop.

“I wanted to finish the project this week.”

A pause.

Then an annoyed sigh.

“Again? Another error?”

She closed her eyes for a second as if mentally fighting for survival.

“Yes, yes, I know I’m late.”

Another pause.

“What am I supposed to do? My eyes simply refused to open this morning.”

James bit back a laugh.

The girl ended the call and leaned against the elevator wall, completely unaware of the two men standing beside her.

A few strands of hair had escaped and fallen across her face.

Her coffee looked one second away from spilling.

And somehow, she still seemed more focused on the project than on herself.

James leaned slightly toward Maverick.

“What a disaster.”

Maverick didn’t respond.

“People like her are always exhausted despite making everyone else do the work,” James continued.

Still no response.

James frowned and turned toward him.

Only to find Maverick staring.

Not rudely.

Not obviously.

Just...

Watching.

James followed his gaze and smirked.

Interesting.

Meanwhile, Maverick wasn’t even listening anymore.

Not to James.

Not to the meeting.

Not to the website that could change the future of their business.

He wasn’t sure what had caught his attention.

Perhaps it was the complete chaos she carried around her.

The messy hair.

The overflowing files.

The coffee she seemed determined to spill at any second.

Or perhaps it was the fact that she looked completely uninterested in the world around her.

Too busy.

Too distracted.

Too exhausted.

As though she were carrying responsibilities far heavier than the laptop tucked beneath her arm.

For some reason, he found himself watching her.

Not because she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

But because she was real.

Unfiltered.

Unaware.

And for the first time in years, Maverick Astor found himself speechless.

The elevator doors opened.

She stepped out without a second glance.

And somehow, that bothered him more than it should have.