Before We Knew Us

Liana’s shift had finally ended. She glanced at the time on her phone before slipping it into her bag. It was later than she had planned, and all she wanted was to get home, take a shower, and sleep. Tomorrow was another day of lectures, and medical school had already drained whatever energy she had left. She untied her apron, folded it neatly, and placed it in the staff area before saying goodbye to the woman behind the counter. “Goodnight, Liana.” “Goodnight.” She stepped outside the bakery and pulled the door shut behind her. The cool evening air brushed against her face as she adjusted the strap of her bag and started walking. She had barely taken three steps when she heard a voice behind her. “Hey, girl.” Liana ignored it. “Hey, beautiful. Wait.” She kept walking. Another voice came from her side. “Can I get your number?” She sighed quietly. She was used to attention. Being called beautiful was nothing new. Neither were people trying to get her number. At Ravencrest International University, everyone knew her. Liana Brooks. The girl everyone called Campus Barbie. But she had never understood why people thought that gave them the right to invade her space. She continued walking. “Come on. We’re just asking for your number.” “I don’t want to give it to you,” she replied without turning around. One of the boys laughed. “Why are you acting like that?” Liana stopped. She turned around slowly. “Because I said no.” There were five of them. They looked around her age, maybe slightly older. They were standing near the bakery entrance, watching her with amused expressions. One of them stepped closer. “Relax. We’re just trying to talk to you.” “And I’m not interested.” She turned to leave. A hand suddenly grabbed her wrist. Liana froze. “Let go of me.” The boy tightened his grip. “Why are you being difficult?” “I said let go.” She tried pulling her arm away, but he held on. “Bro, she’s just shy,” another one joked. Liana’s expression hardened. “Let. Me. Go.” Before the boy could say anything else, another voice cut through the conversation. “She said she doesn’t want to go with you guys.” Everyone turned. A young man was standing a short distance away. He looked like an ordinary student. Dark clothes. Backpack over one shoulder. Hands relaxed at his sides. Nothing about him screamed trouble. But something about the calmness in his voice made the group go quiet. One of the boys frowned. “Nobody asked for your opinion.” The stranger looked at him. “What if I don’t need to be asked?” The boy gave a humorless laugh. “Man, just keep walking.” The stranger didn’t move. The boy holding Liana’s wrist finally let go and stepped toward him. “You looking for a problem?” “No.” The answer came so calmly that it almost sounded careless. “Then leave.” “No.” The boy’s expression changed. He reached into his pocket. Liana’s eyes widened when she saw the blade. “Hey—” The stranger moved before she could finish. The boy swung. He stepped aside. His hand caught the attacker’s wrist, twisting it just enough to force his fingers open. The knife dropped to the ground. Before the boy could recover, the stranger pushed him backward into the wall. Not hard enough to seriously hurt him. Just enough to make the message clear. The second boy rushed forward. The stranger blocked the punch and shoved him away. “Don’t.” There was no shouting. No dramatic speech. Just one warning. The group hesitated. The stranger looked at the knife on the ground, then back at them. “You should leave.” For a moment, nobody moved. Then one of them grabbed the knife from the ground. “Come on.” They started walking away. “Yeah, let’s go.” Within seconds, they disappeared down the street. Silence settled over the sidewalk. Liana looked down at her wrist. Then at the direction they had gone. Then at the stranger. Her bag had fallen during the struggle. The stranger bent down, picked it up, and held it out to her. She took it. “Thanks.” He nodded. There was an awkward silence. Liana studied him for a moment. He didn’t look at her like the boys had. There was no smug smile. No attempt to flirt. No request for her number. He looked like he had helped because he believed he should. And somehow, that made her more suspicious. “I didn’t need your help.” His expression didn’t change. “I know.” Liana blinked. Before she could respond, he turned and walked away. She watched him disappear down the street. For some reason, she couldn’t stop wondering who he was. A few streets away, the stranger’s phone began ringing. He pulled it from his pocket and glanced at the screen. He answered. “Hello?” “Sir, your driver has been waiting for twenty minutes.” He glanced at the road ahead. “I know.” “Your family is expecting you.” “I’ll be fine.” “Sir—” “Tell him I’ll walk.” There was a brief silence on the other end. Then the call ended. He slipped the phone back into his pocket. His expression remained calm. To anyone watching, he was just another university student walking home. That was exactly how he wanted it. No attention. No cameras. No questions. No one knowing who he really was. For once, he wanted a life that belonged only to him. And as far as he was concerned, Ethan Cole was the only person anyone at Ravencrest needed to know. Liana arrived home almost an hour later. She opened the front door quietly. Laughter came from the living room. She stopped for a second. Her uncle, his wife, and their children were sitting together, surrounded by takeout containers and expensive-looking food. Her uncle glanced at the clock. “You’re late.” “I had work.” “You shouldn’t be staying out so late.” Liana stared at him. “I told you I work at the bakery after classes.” “I know.” “Then why are you asking?” His expression hardened. “Watch your attitude, Liana.” She said nothing. She had learned a long time ago that arguing with him rarely changed anything. Her uncle had always presented himself as the man who had saved her after her parents died. The generous uncle who had taken in his orphaned niece. The man everyone praised. But Liana knew better. She knew how much he controlled. How carefully he counted every penny he gave her. How easily he spent money on his own family while reminding her how expensive it was to take care of her. She had stopped expecting fairness from him years ago. “I’m going to my room.” She turned and walked away. Once inside, she closed the door behind her. The room was small but comfortable enough. She dropped her bag onto the chair and sat on the edge of her bed. Her wrist still hurt slightly where the boy had grabbed her. Her thoughts drifted back to the stranger. I know. Why had those two words stayed in her head? She shook the thought away. It didn’t matter. She reached for the old photograph sitting on her bedside table. Her parents smiled back at her from behind the glass. For a moment, her expression softened. “I miss you.” Her eyes lingered on the photograph. Then she noticed something beneath it. An old envelope. She picked it up. She had seen it before. Many times. It had been kept with some of her parents’ old belongings for years. She had always assumed it was nothing important. But tonight, for some reason, she couldn’t stop looking at it. There was no return address. Only her name written across the front. Liana Brooks. Her fingers traced the handwriting. She knew it immediately. It was her mother’s. Liana’s heart skipped. She turned the envelope over. It had never been opened. She stared at it for several seconds. Then she slowly reached for the seal. And for the first time in years, she wondered what her parents had left behind that they had never told her about.