Fall in love with wolf

Ch.2

The first rays of morning sunlight filtered through the mottled shutters of Elena's apartment, casting tiny specks of light across the front of her bed. She lifted her bandaged left hand, and the morning light spilled through her fingers like a silent reminder-that yesterday's unreal encounter had indeed happened.

The pain in her palm was real, as were Alexander Reed's stormy gray eyes. She should have felt scared; there was something instinctively warlike and dangerous about that man. But for some reason, every time she thought of him, what came flooding back to her was a strange sense of security.

Elena straightened her makeup in the mirror, trying to hide the bruises and blackness under her eyes. She'd barely slept last night, not because of the wound on her hand, but because of overactive thoughts.The message Sarah had sent was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, stirring up layers of ripples-Alexander Reed, the man who'd scared the most arrogant of Wall Street's elites into fleeing, was actually one of New York's most mysterious business magnate.

“Just a nice guy with money,” Elena admonished herself as she wrapped her scarf around herself, ”don't think too much of it.” The first lesson the city had taught her was that some things are better seen than touched. Like those $10,000 handbags in the window, like the Manhattan skyline in the evening sun, like……Alexander Reed.

Dawn's Edge Coffee smells tantalizingly fragrant in the morning sun. As Elena pushed open the back door, a rush of warm air wrapped in the mellow scent of coffee beans hit her. She took a deep breath; it was her favorite moment-the quiet before the rush began.

“God, you actually came to work!” Sarah practically jumped to greet her, her blonde curls glistening in the morning light, “I thought you'd take at least two days off.” Her eyes fell on Elena's bandaged hand, “Does it hurt?”

“No big deal,” Elena shrugged, ”You know I can't afford to take time off.”

She expertly tied her apron, her movements slightly awkward from her injury. That's when she noticed what appeared to be a stranger standing in front of the coffee shop. It was a well-dressed man in a suit, but he seemed out of place. He stood there as if waiting for something, and as if observing something.

When Elena looked there again, the man had disappeared. She shook her head, perhaps the morning light and exhaustion had given her the wrong impression.

However, the feeling of being watched lingered. As the morning rush hour traffic poured in, she became more and more certain that someone was secretly watching the place.

Whenever she looked up and around, she always caught a flash of eyes, as if the entire space was enveloped in an invisible net.

“There seems to be an unusually large number of customers today,” Sarah whispered during the brief lull, ”And, have you noticed? Some of them aren't here for coffee at all.”

Elena nodded. Indeed, the atmosphere today was inexplicably weird. Like the woman in the corner with the sunglasses, whose cup had been empty for two hours without the slightest intention of leaving. Another example was the man in the suit at the bar, who stared at his cell phone without ever really touching the screen.

Just as Elena was about to collect the empty cup in front of the woman in sunglasses, the door to the coffee shop was pushed open and a blast of frigid wind, wrapped in snowflakes, rushed in. She looked up and almost missed knocking over the tray.

Alexander Reed stood there, exuding a biting aura. He was wearing a dark gray coat, the collar of which was still stained with fine snowflakes, as if he had stepped out of an oil painting. Behind him, the streetscape of New York seemed to be a blurred background.

“Good morning, Elena,” his voice was low and gentle, in contrast to the strong impression he gave, ”I hope I'm not interrupting your work.”

“Mr. Reed,” Elena took a reflexive half-step back, the tray in her hand unconsciously tightening, ”What can I order today?” She did her best to sound professional and detached.

“Alexander,” he corrected, the corner of his mouth curling into a wry smile, ”Just call me Alexander.” His gaze fell on her bandaged hand and his brow furrowed imperceptibly, “Does your hand still hurt?”

“It's much better,” Elena looked down and straightened her uncluttered apron in an attempt to hide her consternation, ”It's just a little inconvenient.”

Just then, she felt the air around her suddenly grow heavy. The moment she looked up, she caught a change in Alexander's expression-his gaze swept sharply toward the woman in the corner wearing sunglasses, a hint of coldness in his eyes that Elena had never seen before.

The woman seemed startled by the gaze and rose gracefully, pacing to the counter on her heels. She removed her sunglasses, revealing a pair of regal violet eyes.

“A black coffee, please,” her voice sounded like it was drenched in honey, ”with .......” She gave Elena a meaningful look, “A little special flavoring.”

Elena inexplicably felt a chill run down her spine.Alexander moved almost instantly, not moving to get between her and the lady.

“Isabella,” his voice was so low it almost sounded like a low growl of warning, ”what are you doing here?”

“What, is this city your private domain, Alexander?” said Isabella, elegantly shaking the sunglasses that dangled between her fingers, ”I'm just here for a cup of coffee. This store's ...... The smell, it's mesmerizing.”

Elena felt like she was caught in an unseen undercurrent. it was as if invisible sparks were shooting between Alexander and Isabella, and the air was filled with some kind of dangerous scent. The customers around them seemed to sense the eerie atmosphere and unconsciously avoided the area.

“Here's your coffee,” Elena broke the suffocating silence by pushing a cup of steaming black coffee towards Isabella.

Isabella took the coffee, her fingers with blood-red painted nails brushing Elena's wrist if anything. The touch was so cold that it didn't feel like a living person's body heat, and Elena jerked her hand back, nearly spilling her coffee.

“Thank you, my dear,” Isabella's smile was like a blip in full bloom, beautiful and dangerous, ”I think we'll see you again.”

Alexander watched Isabella leave the entire time until her figure disappeared into the bustling New York crowd. Only then did his gaze fall back on Elena with a hint of worry that was hard to hide.

“You need to be more careful these days,” he said, with an undeniable seriousness in his voice, ”if you notice anything out of the ordinary ......”

“I still have your card,” Elena interrupted, a hint of stubbornness in her tone, ”but seriously, I'm just a regular barista, what's there to be careful about?”

Alexander seemed to be amused by her stubbornness, but the smile didn't reach his eyes, “Nothing is really ‘ordinary’ in this city, Elena.”

He ordered a black coffee and took a seat at the counter.Elena noticed that he sat like a beast poised to strike, with a hidden power in his grace. She had to admit that the man had a charisma that was impossible to ignore, but that charisma was laced with a certain air of danger.

“So,” Elena asked in a seemingly casual manner as she wiped down the coffee maker, ”you know that lady?”

“An old acquaintance,” Alexander took a sip of his coffee without ever taking his eyes off the store door, ”and a pain in the ass.” He paused for a moment, “Elena, do you believe that there are things in this world ...... things beyond common sense?”

Elena couldn't help but laugh out loud, “You mean like vampires and werewolves? Don't tell me you have to deal with such gothic novel-like corporate disputes during the day.”

Alexander's expression turned lofty for a moment, but soon regained that graceful composure, “Life is always full of surprises, isn't it?”

Sarah suddenly rushed out from the back kitchen with a newspaper in her hand, “Elena! You're on the news!” She spread the paper out on the counter and pointed to a small news story with a blurry picture, “‘Prominent corporate executive harasses employee at local coffee shop, Reed Enterprise CEO intervenes on the spot’ - oh my god, you guys are in the press for what happened yesterday!”

Elena blanched. The last thing she needed was this kind of unwanted attention. But to her surprise, Alexander didn't look surprised at all and instead gave a meaningful smile.

“Looks like someone's trying to hype this up,” he said, a hint of coldness in his tone, ”but don't worry, I'll take care of it.”

“No,” Elena said stubbornly, ”this is my business and I don't need your help. I don't want to owe anyone a favor, especially ......” She bit her lip, “Someone like you.”

Alexander raised an eyebrow, “Someone like me?”

“Yes,” Elena looked him straight in the eye, ”The kind of person who's used to using money and power to smooth things over. I know you mean well, but I don't want to be treated like a pathetic person who needs saving.”

A flash of surprise flickered in Alexander's eyes, then was replaced by a certain appreciation. He stood up, his tall figure casting slender shadows in the morning light, “You're right, I do get used to solving problems with power. But sometimes ......” His voice lowered, “There are some things that neither power nor money can help.”

He took a gold-stamped invitation from the inside pocket of his suit and placed it on the counter, “This Friday night, Reed Enterprise is hosting its annual benefit dinner at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I'd like you to come.”

“Me?” Elena looked at the invitation incredulously, “I don't think that's the right occasion for a barista to show up.”

“On the contrary,” Alexander's gaze was deep and palpitating, ”that's exactly where real people like you need to show up the most.” He paused, “No need to answer right away, think about it.”

Until Alexander was long gone, Elena could still smell the crisp cologne scent he left behind.Sarah snatched the invitation out of her hand, “Oh my God! This is one of the top social events in New York! Each ticket costs tens of thousands of dollars!” She shook Elena's arm excitedly, “You have to go!“

“Don't be silly,” Elena put away the invitation, ”I don't even have a decent dress.”

“Is that your excuse?” Sarah rolled her eyes, “Come on, you're just scared.”

“Scared of what?”

“Afraid to admit that you're attracted to him.” Sarah winked wryly, “Don't deny it, I can see it.”

Elena didn't reply. Yes, she was attracted to Alexander, but not just because of his handsome looks and prominence. There was a paradoxical quality about him - a wildness hidden in his elegance, a danger hidden in his gentleness. Every time she laid eyes on him, she felt like she was staring into an unfathomable sea, with rough undercurrents hidden beneath the calm surface.