CHAPTER 2
1365 Words
Kora spent the entire ride home trying not to think about him.
Which was impossible.
The city lights blurred outside the car window as Ivy drove through the late-night traffic, music playing softly in the background. Normally, after parties, Ivy talked endlessly about everything that happened. Who embarrassed themselves. Who hooked up. Which outfit looked terrible.
Tonight, she kept glancing at Kora with an annoying smirk instead.
“Stop looking at me like that,” Kora muttered finally.
“I’m just observing.”
“You’re being irritating.”
“You’re blushing.”
Kora immediately touched her cheeks defensively. “I am not.”
Ivy burst into laughter. “Oh my God, you actually are.”
Kora groaned and leaned her head against the window. “Can we not do this?”
“No, we absolutely can and will.” Ivy grinned wickedly. “Do you even realize Travis Wayne barely talks to women at these things?”
“And?”
“And he spent half the night staring at you like he wanted to figure out how your brain works.”
Kora rolled her eyes, though her heartbeat betrayed her.
She hated how aware she’d been of him the entire night.
Even after their conversation ended, she could still feel his presence from across the room. Every glance. Every subtle movement. Every time their eyes accidentally met.
It was unsettling.
And strangely addictive.
“He’s probably like that with everyone,” Kora said quietly.
Ivy snorted. “Trust me. He’s not.”
Kora stayed silent after that.
Because deep down, she knew Ivy was right.
Something about the way Travis looked at her felt intentional. Too focused. Like he was trying to memorize her without touching her.
And that should’ve scared her more than it did.
The next morning, Kora woke up exhausted.
Not physically.
Mentally.
She had spent hours replaying every interaction from the party instead of sleeping.
The way his hand felt around hers.
The calmness in his voice.
The darkness behind his eyes.
It annoyed her.
She barely knew the man.
Still, somehow, Travis Wayne had managed to crawl into her thoughts like he belonged there.
Kora sighed and dragged herself out of bed before heading toward the kitchen. The apartment was quiet except for the sound of Ivy talking loudly on the phone somewhere nearby.
Probably gossiping already.
Kora had just poured herself coffee when Ivy suddenly walked into the kitchen looking far too excited.
“That was fast,” she said immediately.
Kora frowned. “What?”
Ivy held up her phone dramatically. “Travis wants your number.”
Kora nearly choked on her coffee. “Excuse me?”
“He texted me like twenty minutes ago.” Ivy smirked. “Very polite, by the way. Kinda scary actually.”
Kora stared at her. “You gave it to him?”
“Obviously.”
“Ivy!”
“What?” She shrugged unapologetically. “You were going to say yes eventually.”
Kora opened her mouth to argue when her phone buzzed against the counter.
Unknown Number.
Her stomach tightened instantly.
Ivy looked way too pleased with herself. “Answer it.”
“I’m not answering a text like it’s a phone call.”
“You know what I mean.”
Kora hesitated before finally unlocking her phone.
Unknown Number: Good morning, Kora.
Simple.
Yet somehow her pulse still quickened.
Another message appeared almost immediately.
-I was beginning to think you’d never check your phone.
Kora narrowed her eyes slightly.
Kora: That sounds a little obsessive.
The typing bubble appeared instantly.
-You noticed.
Kora stared at the message longer than necessary.
Heat crept slowly up her neck before she locked the phone entirely and tossed it onto the counter.
“Nope.”
Ivy blinked. “What happened?”
“I’m ignoring him.”
“That lasted long.”
Kora pointed a warning finger at her. “Don’t start.”
But Ivy only laughed harder.
Across the city, Travis sat silently inside his office staring at his phone screen.
The corner of his mouth lifted slightly at the last message she sent before disappearing offline completely.
Interesting.
Most women reacted to him one of two ways.
They either became instantly desperate for his attention... or intimidated enough to avoid him entirely.
Kora somehow did both at once.
And that intrigued him more than it should have.
A knock sounded against the office door before Tobi walked in.
“Shipment arrived,” Tobi said casually before stopping mid-sentence, brows raised inquisitively. “Why do you look amused?”
Travis locked his phone calmly. “I’m not.”
“Mmm.” Tobi clearly didn’t believe him. “You only get that look when you’re about to become somebody’s problem.”
Travis ignored the comment.
Tobi had known him long enough to notice even the smallest changes in behavior, which was unfortunate.
“What’s the update?” Travis asked instead.
Tobi immediately became serious. “Everything’s clear for now. But Liam still hasn’t checked in.”
At the mention of the name, Travis’ expression darkened slightly.
Liam had been unreliable lately. Distracted. Careless.
Travis didn’t like carelessness.
Especially in their line of work.
“Keep watching him,” Travis said calmly.
Tobi nodded once. “Already am.”
Silence settled briefly between them before Tobi spoke again.
“So.”
Travis glanced at him coldly. “No.”
“You don’t even know what I was going to say.”
“Yes, I do.”
Tobi leaned against the desk with a grin. “Her name’s Kora, right?”
Travis said nothing.
Which was answer enough.
Tobi laughed quietly. “Yeah… you’re finished.”
Travis’ stare could’ve killed a weaker man.
Unfortunately, Tobi wasn’t a weaker man.
“She’s different,” Tobi continued knowingly. “I can tell already.”
Travis finally stood from his chair, adjusting the sleeves of his black shirt slowly.
Dangerous calm.
“She has nothing to do with this world,” he said flatly. “And she’s staying far away from it.”
Tobi’s expression shifted slightly at the tone in his voice.
Because underneath the calmness was something sharper.
Protectiveness.
Possession.
The kind Travis rarely felt toward anyone.
And that alone was dangerous.
Later that evening, Kora decided she officially hated Ivy.
Because somehow, against all logic, she had agreed to go on a date with Travis Wayne.
She stared at herself in the mirror for the fifth time in ten minutes, mentally questioning every life choice she’d made recently.
“Relax,” Ivy said from the doorway. “It’s one dinner, not a marriage proposal.”
Kora shot her a look. “You’re not helping.”
Ivy walked into the room smiling. “You like him.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Kora.”
She sighed in defeat. “I barely know him.”
“But you want to.”
That was the problem.
She did.
And she didn’t know why.
Travis made her nervous in a way that felt dangerous. Not because he’d actually done anything wrong, but because something about him felt too intense. Too controlled.
Like there were things hidden beneath the surface he carefully kept buried.
And somehow, despite every warning in her head… she still wanted to know more.
Her phone buzzed again.
Travis: I’m outside.
Kora’s heartbeat stumbled instantly.
Ivy peeked through the curtains before letting out a dramatic gasp. “Jesus Christ.”
“What?”
“That man drives temptation on four wheels.”
Ivy stares at the McLaren 750 S...she knows a lot about cars and hence blabs about it with her eyes glued out the window.
Kora rolled her eyes despite herself before grabbing her bag.
As she walked toward the door, Ivy suddenly grabbed her arm gently.
“Hey.”
Kora looked at her.
Ivy’s teasing expression softened slightly. “Be careful, okay?”
The seriousness in her voice caught Kora off guard.
“Why are you saying it like that?”
“I don’t know.” Ivy frowned faintly. “There’s just something about him.”
Kora swallowed softly.
Because she felt it too.
And somehow, that only made her step toward him anyway.
- Writer
