Fated Connections

Chapter five- A storm That Lingers

The following week had been nothing but a blur for Jennifer.

She could still remember stumbling through the door that night, tears streaming down her face, her chest so heavy she could hardly breathe. Telling her grandmother had been worse—her voice cracked on every word, her grief echoing in their small home until it swallowed her whole.

She hardly left her room after that. Her meals were half-eaten, only enough to keep her grandmother from worrying too much. Even Gwen had to drag her out, coaxing her with ice cream and a lot of bad jokes until Jennifer finally gave in.

That’s how the two girls found themselves at a pastel-colored ice cream shop, sitting in silence. Jennifer wore a grey hoodie pulled tightly over her head, shielding her swollen eyes and blotchy cheeks from curious glances.

“Just try to cheer up, Jenny. It’s going to be alright,” Gwen said gently, swirling her spoon through melting vanilla.

Jennifer didn’t answer. She kept her gaze fixed on her cup, scooping tiny bites as if the motion alone could distract her from reality.

Then, a name cut through the quiet.

Sebastian Cruz.

Her head snapped toward the mounted TV in the corner. A news anchor announced that the elusive CEO was staying in the city permanently to oversee his fashion empire himself after years away.

Jennifer froze. What?

He was supposed to hate this city. She remembered the way whispers floated around the office—that his childhood here was nothing short of traumatic. So why return now?

Her mind flickered back to that rainy day. To him. To the strange, silent moment that had shaken her more than his dismissal.

He hadn’t spoken a word. He had only stood in front of her, tall and unyielding, rain dripping from the edge of his black umbrella. When she slowly rose to her feet, he had pressed the umbrella into her hands. No explanation. No glance back. He’d simply turned, long strides carrying him toward the rotating doors of the company, and then he was gone.

Gone from her sight. Gone from her life leaving her with so many questions.

But now the memory lingered. And the questions gnawed.

Why? Why would he do that? Did he know I had just been fired? Does he treat all his employees like that? Was that supposed to be some twisted farewell?

Later, on their walk home, Jennifer spilled everything to Gwen—every detail of that elevator, that umbrella, that moment. Gwen’s jaw had nearly hit the ground.

“Jenny, he held an umbrella over you? Sebastian Cruz? The same man who doesn’t even flinch at boardroom wars?” Gwen grinned mischievously. “Girl… maybe he likes you.”

Jennifer let out a hollow laugh. “Impossible. The vibe I got? It wasn’t romance. When he whispered in my ear, it was… it was darkness. Hatred. Nothing else.”

Still, something inside her shifted. That night, sitting across from her best friend in the faint hum of the ice cream shop, Jennifer decided she had to move on. She would collect the letter and walk out of that company with her head held high.

If Sebastian Cruz wanted to stay in the city and haunt his empire, fine. But she wouldn’t let him haunt her.

Back home, she submitted her résumé to every fashion house she could find. She didn’t care where—she only wanted a place that valued her designs, her ideas, her.

Seven days had passed since the storm. If they had really wanted her back, someone would have called by now. Tomorrow, she would go collect her official termination letter. Her chest tightened at the thought, but she forced the tears back.

Sebastian Cruz and his empire could burn for all she cared.

---

P.O.V

Sebastian Cruz

“What do you mean—she was fired?” My voice came out low, calm, but laced with a sharp edge.

Marcus, my assistant, straightened but didn’t falter. He never did. “Sir, the request reached me this morning. The dismissal letter only needed your signature.”

My grip on the glass in my hand tightened. So that’s why she had been standing there in the rain, tears staining her face like broken glass.

That day… I didn’t even know why I stepped outside with an umbrella. I don’t do things like that. I don’t comfort. I don’t chase after anyone. And yet, there I was—standing in front of her, pressing the umbrella into her hand before walking away.

I didn’t go to the office after that. I had been avoiding going there hoping not to run into her. Not knowing she wasn't even there. I didn't want to meet those eyes cause I knew they would hold a lot of questions for me.

Damn those eyes.

The moment they met mine for the first time in that elevator, something cracked. Something I had buried fifteen years ago clawed its way back. She swore we had never met until that day, but I knew better. There was something in those hazel depths—something familiar. Like a shadow I had seen before, one I had tried to erase.

She was different. Clumsy, bold, reckless with honesty. Too much talent for her own good. Too much innocence for mine.

“Get her back by tomorrow,” I ordered flatly, setting my glass down. “And arrange a meeting with me. She fits perfectly into the plan.”

Marcus hesitated. Rare. “Sir, with respect, I don’t think she will agree.”

“She doesn’t need to agree. Just bring her back.”

“Sir…” He stopped again. “You know how it went with the others. And your mother has been calling me—demanding to speak with you.”

He was right. This couldn’t be rushed. Not this time. First, I had to observe her. Everyone had a weakness, and Jennifer Brooks would be no different.

“Find me everything,” I said, my tone leaving no room for doubt. “Her birthday. Her family. Every step she’s taken since she walked into my company.”

Marcus gave a curt nod before leaving.

I leaned back into the chair, silence filling the room, my mind restless.

Jennifer Brooks. Who are you? And why do I feel like you’re a ghost I’ve already met?

A cruel smile touched my lips. She would be fun to break. Fun to bend until she had no choice but to stay exactly where I wanted her—on a leash, bound by my hand.

But beneath that smile, something darker stirred.

The nightmares had returned.

I hadn’t slept in days. The medicine barely dulled the edges anymore. And each time I closed my eyes, I was dragged back to that night.

The crash. The river. The cold. The words of my Father. The promise I made that night as a Fifteen year old boy.

Fifteen years hadn’t erased it. The city itself seemed determined to remind me.

I clenched my jaw and rose, heading to the private gym upstairs. I needed to sweat the memories out before they drowned me again.

Because if I let them linger, if I let them win—everything I had built would crumble.

And worse… he would find me.

Not yet, I couldn't let him find me. I needed to find him first.