The Secret Between Us

THE SECRET BETWEEN US Chapter 1 — The Man With the Cold Eyes The rain had been falling since early morning. By eight o'clock, the streets were already crowded with cars, umbrellas, and people rushing toward their workplaces. The city looked gray beneath the thick clouds, but inside a small coffee shop across from a tall glass building, Adrian Santos was having a completely different kind of morning. He was late. Very late. Adrian rushed through the door, holding a portfolio under one arm and his phone in the other hand. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Several customers turned toward him. The barista behind the counter smiled. "Good morning, Adrian. Running late again?" Adrian stopped and looked at the clock. "Again?" The barista laughed. "You're becoming predictable." Adrian sighed and ran a hand through his slightly wet hair. "I had an important presentation today." "And you forgot to set your alarm?" "I set three alarms." "And?" "They betrayed me." The barista laughed again. Adrian ordered his usual coffee and checked his phone. Twenty-three unread messages. Most of them were from his supervisor. WHERE ARE YOU? THE CLIENT IS ALREADY HERE. DON'T TELL ME YOU'RE STILL ON THE WAY. Adrian's eyes widened. "Oh no." He grabbed his coffee and rushed toward the door. But before he could leave, someone suddenly stepped inside. Adrian stopped. The man standing in front of him was tall, well-dressed, and completely calm despite the heavy rain outside. He wore a dark suit with a white shirt underneath. His black hair was neatly styled, and his expression was serious enough to make the entire room feel quieter. Adrian barely had time to move. His coffee slipped from his hand. The cup fell. Coffee splashed directly onto the man's expensive suit. Silence. Adrian froze. The stranger slowly looked down at his stained shirt. Then he looked at Adrian. His eyes were cold. Very cold. Adrian swallowed. "I'm... sorry." The man said nothing. Adrian grabbed several napkins from the counter. "Here. Let me help you clean it." "I can see that." Adrian stopped. The man's voice was calm, but there was something intimidating about it. "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to—" "You should be more careful." Adrian frowned. "I said I'm sorry." "And yet my suit is still ruined." Adrian stared at him. For someone who had just been accidentally covered in coffee, the man certainly knew how to make someone feel guilty. "Fine," Adrian said. "I'll pay for the cleaning." The man's eyebrow lifted. "You can afford it?" Adrian's eyes widened. "Excuse me?" The stranger simply walked past him. Adrian turned around. "Hey!" The man stopped. Adrian pointed toward the stained suit. "You don't have to be rude." The stranger looked back. "Neither do you." Adrian opened his mouth. Nothing came out. The stranger walked away. Adrian stared after him. "Unbelievable." The barista leaned toward him. "Do you know who that was?" "No." "That's Ethan Reyes." Adrian shrugged. "Should I know him?" The barista looked shocked. "Everyone knows him." Adrian looked through the glass window. The stranger entered a black luxury car waiting outside. "Ethan Reyes," Adrian muttered. He shook his head. "Whoever he is, he's still rude." --- Across the street, Ethan sat silently inside his car. His assistant, Marcus, glanced at the coffee stain on his shirt. "Sir, should we go back to the office first?" "No." "Your meeting starts in twenty minutes." "I know." Marcus hesitated. "Should I arrange another suit?" Ethan looked out the window. "No." Marcus looked confused. "Sir?" Ethan didn't answer. For some reason, he couldn't stop thinking about the man from the coffee shop. The messy hair. The nervous expression. The way he had argued back instead of simply apologizing. Most people became uncomfortable when they learned who Ethan was. That man didn't. He had looked directly into Ethan's eyes and called him rude. Ethan almost smiled. Almost. Then he remembered the coffee stain. His expression returned to normal. "Find out who he is." Marcus looked at him. "The man from the coffee shop?" "Yes." "Why?" Ethan looked at him. "Just find out." Marcus nodded. "Yes, sir." --- Meanwhile, Adrian finally arrived at his office. He was nearly fifteen minutes late. His supervisor, Mia, was standing near the conference room with her arms crossed. "Adrian." He smiled nervously. "Good morning." "You're late." "I know." "The client is waiting." "I know." "And you're holding coffee." Adrian looked at the cup in his hand. "I needed emotional support." Mia sighed. "Just go inside." Adrian entered the conference room. He placed his portfolio on the table and took a deep breath. The presentation was for one of the biggest companies in the city. The project involved redesigning the company's brand identity. Adrian had spent weeks preparing. He connected his laptop and began explaining his ideas. Twenty minutes later, the meeting ended. The clients seemed impressed. Adrian smiled with relief. Then the conference room door opened. Everyone turned. Ethan Reyes walked inside. Adrian's smile disappeared. The coffee-stained suit was gone. He was wearing another perfectly tailored black suit. Adrian stared. "You." Ethan looked at him. "You." Mia looked between them. "You two know each other?" Adrian quickly answered. "No." At exactly the same time, Ethan said: "Unfortunately." Adrian glared at him. Ethan walked to the head of the table. Mia suddenly became nervous. "Mr. Reyes, I wasn't aware you would personally attend the meeting." "I changed my schedule." Ethan looked toward Adrian's presentation. "Continue." Adrian swallowed. He continued. For the next thirty minutes, Ethan barely spoke. But he watched everything. Every slide. Every explanation. Every detail. Adrian tried not to look at him. But he could feel Ethan's eyes following him. Finally, Adrian finished. "That's everything." Ethan looked at the presentation. "The concept is good." Adrian smiled. "Thank you." "But..." Adrian's smile disappeared. "But?" "The design needs more emotional depth." Adrian frowned. "It's a corporate brand." "Exactly." Ethan closed the folder. "If you want people to remember a brand, numbers aren't enough. People remember how something makes them feel." Adrian was surprised. That was actually a good point. He nodded. "I'll consider it." Ethan stood. "Don't consider it." Adrian looked at him. "Do it." Then Ethan walked out. Adrian stared at the closed door. Mia approached him. "Congratulations." "For what?" "You've been assigned to the project." Adrian smiled. "That's great." Mia hesitated. "There's one problem." "What?" "You're going to work directly with Mr. Reyes." Adrian's smile disappeared. "What?" "He specifically requested you." Adrian stared at the door. Across the hallway, Ethan was already walking toward the elevator. For a brief moment, he turned around. Their eyes met through the glass. Neither of them looked away. Adrian felt something strange in his chest. It wasn't fear. It wasn't anger. It was something he couldn't explain. The elevator doors closed between them. Adrian whispered: "Why me?" Inside the elevator, Ethan looked at his reflection. For the first time in years, he felt curious about someone. And that frightened him. Because Ethan Reyes had spent years protecting his heart from one thing. Love. He didn't know it yet, but the man he had just met was about to become the biggest secret of his life. TO BE CONTINUED...