Chapter 3: The Handsome Stranger
804 Words
My apartment wasn't particularly large, nor was it luxurious compared to the countless villas Mom owned across Atlantia City.
Many of those properties had already been transferred into my name.
Even so, I chose to live in a modest apartment.
For now...
I wanted to keep a low profile.
The fewer people who knew about Miriam Harrison, the better.
By the time I finished unpacking, the sun had already set, painting the sky with shades of orange and purple.
I glanced around the empty apartment.
"I need to buy a few things."
Grabbing my car keys, I drove to the nearest supermarket.
After filling two shopping carts with groceries and household necessities, I headed toward the parking lot.
That was when I saw him.
A man sat quietly on the curb beneath a flickering streetlight.
His clothes were dirty and wrinkled, and his black hair was slightly messy.
Yet none of that could hide his face.
I stopped walking.
"...Wow."
I had always been a sucker for beautiful faces.
Male or female.
But this man...
He was unbelievably handsome.
His sharp jawline, straight nose, soft pink lips, and mesmerizing amber eyes looked almost unreal.
For a second, my brain stopped working.
Then I realized I had been staring.
"Oh no..."
I quickly looked away.
Get yourself together, Miriam.
You're practically drooling over a stranger.
How embarrassing.
Taking a deep breath, I walked toward him anyway.
"Hey, handsome."
He slowly lifted his head.
The moment those amber eyes met mine...
I froze again.
Danger.
This face is simply too unfair.
I secretly pinched my palm to stop myself from staring.
"What are you doing out here all alone?"
He said nothing.
He simply watched me quietly.
I waited.
Still no answer.
For a moment, I wondered if he couldn't speak.
Feeling awkward, I reached into one of my shopping bags and handed him a can of soda.
"Here."
He looked at it for a few seconds before accepting it.
Then he stood up.
Only then did I realize how tall he was.
At least six feet.
Maybe taller.
I blinked.
Why are all the handsome ones so ridiculously tall?
Shaking my head, I turned to leave.
A few steps later...
Footsteps echoed behind me.
I glanced over my shoulder.
He was following me.
I walked faster.
So did he.
Finally, I stopped and turned around.
"Why are you following me?"
He didn't answer.
Instead, he looked at me with those clear amber eyes.
There was no hostility.
Only silent pleading.
I hesitated.
"You... want to come with me?"
He nodded immediately.
That was the first response he had given me.
I sighed.
"Where's your family?"
Silence.
"Your home?"
Nothing.
He simply continued looking at me as though I were the only person in the world.
I rubbed my forehead.
"Don't tell me you've forgotten everything..."
For some reason...
I couldn't leave him behind.
Maybe it was because he looked lost.
Maybe because he was ridiculously handsome.
Or maybe...
There was something strangely familiar about him.
I couldn't explain it.
"Fine."
"You can come with me for tonight."
The moment those words left my mouth, his eyes lit up.
Before I could react, he reached out and gently held my hand.
I stiffened.
Not because he had touched me...
But because the feeling was strangely familiar.
Warm.
Comforting.
As though...
I had held this hand before.
I looked up at him in confusion.
Impossible.
I was certain we had never met.
Noticing my dazed expression, he gently squeezed my hand.
I snapped back to reality and awkwardly cleared my throat.
"Come on."
I unlocked the passenger door.
He obediently got inside without saying a single word.
Hidden in the shadows across the street...
A man dressed entirely in black watched my car drive away.
His lips slowly curled into a sinister smile.
"So..."
"I finally found you."
On the way home, I stopped at a clothing store and bought him several sets of clothes, underwear, and basic toiletries.
I didn't know his size.
I simply guessed.
Thankfully...
Judging by his broad shoulders and athletic build, I wasn't too far off.
The rest of the drive was silent.
I focused on the road.
Meanwhile...
He kept staring at me.
Not the uncomfortable kind of stare.
Not one filled with desire.
It was almost...
Reverent.
As though I were the most precious treasure he had ever found.
The intensity of his gaze made my ears grow warm.
Why does he keep looking at me like that?
I tightened my grip on the steering wheel.
Calm down, Miriam.
Don't start imagining things.
Besides...
Even if he is unbelievably handsome...
You can't just bring a stranger home because of his face.
...
Right?
For some reason...
I had a feeling my peaceful life had just become a lot more complicated.
- Writer
