Falling for the unexpected

The Escape

Episode One: The Escape

The city buzzed beneath Olivia Carter’s heels as she marched down the crowded sidewalk, her phone vibrating nonstop in her purse. She didn’t check it. She didn’t want to. After the week she’d had—a humiliating breakup, a public meltdown in her office boardroom, and a boss who looked at her like a malfunctioning machine—Olivia needed out. Not a vacation. A reset.

By the time she reached her apartment, her mind was made up. She threw a few outfits into a weekend bag, grabbed her laptop (just in case she changed her mind), and booked a last-minute bus ticket to a town she’d only ever seen on postcards—Willow Bay.

Twenty-four hours later, Olivia stood on the edge of the small coastal town’s pier, the salty breeze tangling her perfectly straightened hair. The scent of seaweed and woodsmoke drifted around her, and for the first time in weeks, she inhaled without feeling like her lungs were collapsing.

The dock creaked underfoot as she wandered farther out, boots clicking against the wood. She was so lost in thought, she didn’t see the rope coiled on the pier until her foot caught in it.

With a yelp, Olivia stumbled forward—and crashed headfirst into a fishing boat.

“Whoa!” a voice shouted. “You okay there, city girl?”

And just like that, she met Noah Bennett.