His Favorite Confession

The Skyline View

By 7:55 PM, Alora stood in front of the private elevator bank of Hayden’s luxury high-rise apartment complex downtown. The doorman, recognizing her from previous visits—though back then she had only known him as the mysterious man from the coffeehouse—greeted her with a knowing, respectful smile.

The penthouse doors opened directly into a vast, open-concept living space framed by massive glass walls that overlooked the glittering expanse of the city skyline. The lights of the metropolis stretched out like a sea of diamonds below.

Hayden emerged from the kitchen holding two glasses of wine, dressed casually in a dark button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms. The stark, intimidating CEO persona was completely shed, leaving only the man.

"You made it," Hayden said, handing her a glass as his gaze searched her face. "Did you run into any trouble on your way up?"

Alora took a small sip of the crisp white wine, letting the cool liquid soothe her frayed nerves. "No trouble. Just... an interesting conversation in the lobby before I left."

Hayden’s posture stiffened instantly, the relaxed warmth in his eyes narrowing into something sharp. "What kind of conversation?"

"Marcus," she replied quietly, watching his reaction. "He made a comment about me spending time in your office. He warned me that people who get too close to the sun tend to get burned."

Hayden set his glass down on the marble counter with a quiet clink. A muscle ticked in his jaw. "Marcus talks too much. And he watches too closely. Let me worry about him, Alora. You don't need to concern yourself with his games."