Written in stars

Chapter1

Written in the Stars

The city skyline shimmered under the night sky, the glow of streetlights reflecting in Lena Carter’s tired eyes as she exited the café where she worked. The shift had been long, and exhaustion clung to her like a second skin. She tightened her coat around her frame, bracing against the cold, but the chill running through her had nothing to do with the weather.

It was the dream again.

The same dream that had haunted her since childhood.

A man stood beneath a vast sky filled with stars, his dark eyes piercing into her soul. His voice, deep and full of something unspoken, whispered her name. Lena… There was pain in his gaze, regret tangled in every syllable. Then, just as she reached for him, darkness swallowed everything.

No matter how many times she dreamed of him, she never saw what happened next.

Shaking off the eerie sensation, Lena sighed and checked her phone. A new email notification lit up her screen. Celestia Corp: Job Interview Invitation.

Her breath caught.

She had applied on a whim, never expecting a response. Celestia Corp was one of the most powerful business empires in the city, its CEO, Adrian Blackwood, known for being ruthless and untouchable. He was the kind of man who had everything—power, wealth, and the cold arrogance that made people fear him.

Lena had no interest in men like that. But she needed this job.

With a deep breath, she whispered to herself, This is your chance, Lena. Take it.

---

The next morning, Lena stood in front of the Celestia Corp skyscraper, nerves twisting in her stomach. The sleek glass building towered above her, a symbol of everything she had never been a part of—luxury, power, and prestige.

She exhaled sharply and stepped inside.

The lobby was immaculate, filled with well-dressed professionals moving with purpose. The receptionist directed her to the 30th floor, where she was met by a stern-looking assistant.

"Miss Carter?" the woman asked, barely sparing her a glance. "Follow me."

Lena adjusted her blouse, forcing her hands to stay steady. As they walked down the pristine hallways, she caught sight of portraits of past CEOs—men of power and influence.

Then they stopped.

The assistant knocked once before opening a massive door. "Mr. Blackwood will see you now."

Lena stepped inside, and for a moment, the air in her lungs vanished.

Behind the sleek, obsidian desk sat a man with a presence so commanding it was almost suffocating.

Adrian Blackwood.

Dark hair, sharp jawline, and eyes like a storm—cold, unreadable, and piercing right through her. He wasn’t just handsome. He was devastatingly intense, the kind of man who could break a person with a single glance.

Lena's heart pounded.

Because she had seen him before.

Not in real life.

In her dreams.

For a split second, everything around her faded—the skyscraper, the polished desk, the modern office. Instead, she saw a vast, starry sky. A man standing beneath it, looking at her with that exact same gaze.

Her throat tightened. No. That’s impossible.

"Sit," Adrian commanded, his deep voice snapping her back to reality.

Lena obeyed, her legs moving on instinct.

He studied her, fingers steepled together as if he could see every thought running through her mind. "You applied for the position of assistant analyst."

"Yes," she replied, trying to keep her voice steady.

His expression remained unreadable. "Your resume is impressive, but there are others with more experience. Why should I hire you?"

Lena swallowed. She couldn’t afford to mess this up. "Because I don’t just work hard—I adapt. I find solutions instead of problems. Give me a chance, and I’ll prove it."

A long silence stretched between them.

Then, something shifted in his gaze.

For a fleeting second, Lena saw confusion—as if he was seeing something in her that he couldn’t quite place.

Like she was familiar to him.

Then it was gone, replaced by cold detachment. "You start Monday. Don’t be late."

Lena barely processed his words. She had the job. But as she left his office, one thought

echoed in her mind.

Why did Adrian Blackwood look at me like he already knew me?