CHAPTER 2: THE WOMAN WITH THE FEARLESS EYES
776 Words
The black convoy glided through the streets of Noctis like a pack of wolves claiming their territory.
Inside the lead SUV, silence reigned.
Kelvin Alexander Lawson sat in the back seat, his tailored black suit immaculate, his silver wristwatch catching the faint glow of the city lights. One hand rested on the armrest while the other lazily twirled a gold ring around his finger.
His expression remained unreadable.
Yet his thoughts refused to cooperate.
A pair of warm brown eyes flashed across his mind.
Fearless.
Curious.
Different.
He had watched thousands of people lower their heads the moment they recognized him.
But not her.
She had looked directly into his eyes.
As though he were just another man.
The memory irritated him...
Yet strangely intrigued him.
Damien Russo, seated beside the driver, noticed the unusual silence.
"Boss?"
Kelvin's gaze remained fixed on the passing skyline.
"The woman."
Damien frowned.
"The one at the flower stall."
Kelvin nodded once.
"I want everything."
Damien immediately understood.
"Name."
"Family."
"Occupation."
"Friends."
"Daily routine."
There was a brief pause before Kelvin added quietly,
"And I want the report before sunrise."
"Yes, Boss."
No one questioned Kelvin's orders.
Especially not when he spoke in that calm voice.
Because everyone in his organization knew...
The quieter he sounded...
The more serious he was.
Meanwhile...
Mackenzie Giovanni finally returned to her apartment.
She kicked off her heels with a relieved sigh before dropping onto the sofa.
"What a day..."
Her phone buzzed.
Sophia Bennett.
Her best friend.
Mackenzie answered with a smile.
"Please tell me you're calling to say dinner is on you."
Sophia laughed.
"Absolutely not."
"I knew it."
"I actually called because my cousin is getting married."
"So?"
"So..."
"I volunteered you."
Mackenzie sat upright.
"You what?"
"They need an event planner."
"Sophia!"
"What?"
"You'll thank me later."
Mackenzie couldn't help laughing.
"You always create more work for me."
"And yet you always survive."
"Because I have no choice."
The two friends chatted for almost an hour before ending the call.
After placing her phone on the coffee table, Mackenzie walked onto the small balcony.
The evening breeze gently brushed against her face.
She looked up at the stars.
"Tomorrow will be better."
Little did she know...
Tomorrow would change everything.
Back at Lawson Tower...
Damien entered Kelvin's private office carrying a tablet.
"I have preliminary information."
Kelvin looked up from the documents spread across his desk.
"Already?"
"Our surveillance team was nearby."
Damien placed the tablet on the desk.
A photograph filled the screen.
It was her.
Standing beside the flower stall.
Smiling.
Kelvin stared at the image longer than he intended.
"Name."
"Mackenzie Giovanni."
Age.
"Twenty-six."
Occupation.
"Owner of a small event planning company."
Family.
"Parents are both school teachers. One younger brother currently studying engineering."
Any criminal record?
"None."
Debt?
"None."
Relationships?
Damien hesitated.
"There was one."
Kelvin's eyes slowly lifted.
"Explain."
"She dated someone three years ago."
"And?"
"They broke up."
"Reason?"
"The man cheated on her."
Silence settled over the room.
Kelvin leaned back in his chair.
Interesting.
She walked away instead of forgiving betrayal.
He respected that.
"What else?"
"Everyone who knows her describes her the same way."
Damien glanced at the report.
"Kind."
"Hardworking."
"Honest."
"Stubborn."
Kelvin raised an eyebrow.
"Stubborn?"
"Very."
A faint smile almost appeared on Kelvin's lips.
Almost.
"I'll meet her."
Damien blinked.
"Boss?"
Kelvin closed the tablet.
"Not yet."
"I don't chase."
"If fate intends for us to meet again..."
His cold eyes drifted toward the city beyond the windows.
"It will happen."
But deep inside...
He already knew.
Fate had nothing to do with it.
If necessary...
He would create the opportunity himself.
The next morning...
Mackenzie rushed into Giovanni Events, balancing coffee in one hand and her laptop in the other.
"Morning, everyone!"
Her small team greeted her cheerfully.
There was so much to do.
Flower arrangements.
A birthday celebration.
An engagement party.
A corporate dinner.
She loved the chaos.
As she reviewed contracts, the receptionist knocked gently.
"Mackenzie?"
"Yes?"
"Someone sent these."
A massive bouquet of white lilies filled the doorway.
Mackenzie's eyes widened.
"They're beautiful."
"There isn't a sender's name."
She searched the bouquet.
Only a small black card rested among the flowers.
It contained four words.
For the fearless woman.
Her smile slowly faded.
"...Who would send this?"
No one answered.
Across the city...
High above Noctis...
Kelvin stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows of his office.
His phone vibrated.
A single message from Damien.
The flowers have been delivered.
Kelvin slipped the phone back into his pocket.
For the first time in years...
He found himself looking forward to someone's reaction.
- Writer
