Twisted Fate
Chapter 1 : The girl who fights
Café Amour was quieter than usual. The warm scent of espresso and vanilla lingered in the air, blending with the soft hum of evening conversations. Selene Maristelle, a 19-year-old student juggling her studies, a small art business, and a part-time job, wiped down a table near the counter.
The evening was peaceful—until it wasn’t.
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(sniffling) Let me go… I want my mom…
Drunk Man
(grinning, voice slurring) No need to be scared, sweetheart… just bein’ friendly—
Selene Maristelle
(coldly) Let. Her. Go.
The café quieted. Heads turned. Selene set down the tray she was carrying and stepped closer.
Drunk Man
(scoffs) Who the hell are you?
Selene Maristelle
Someone who will break your arm if you don’t back off.
Drunk Man
(laughs, swaying slightly) Feisty little thing, aren’t y—
In a blur, Selene twists his wrist back at an unnatural angle. He yelps, stumbling, but she doesn’t stop. A swift kick to the back of his knee sends him crashing onto the floor, face nearly smashing against the tile.
Elisa (little girl)
(shaky) T-Thank you…
Selene Maristelle
(gently) Go find your parents, alright?
Across the café, Lucian Vale sat in the corner, watching. The dim lighting cast sharp shadows over his chiseled features, but his eyes—dark, unreadable—never left Selene.
That fighting style. That sharp precision.
Lucian Vale
(smirking, murmuring) Interesting…
Chapter 2: Eyes that follow
After dealing with the drunk man, Selene Maristelle returns to work, shaking off the lingering tension. But she isn’t aware of the pair of eyes watching her every move.
Nia Solenne
(whispering) You could’ve gotten fired for that, you know?
Selene Maristelle
(calmly) And let that creep get away? Not happening.
Nia Solenne
(groans) You’re impossible.
Selene smirks as she adjusts her apron. Nia Solenne—her closest friend at the café—had always warned her to avoid trouble. But trouble had a way of finding her regardless.
Across the café, Lucian Vale watched. He had planned to leave after his meeting, but then he saw her.
The way she moved. The way she fought.
It wasn’t just reckless bravery—it was precision. Control. Training.
He leaned back in his seat, fingers tapping rhythmically against his glass.
Lucian Vale
(murmuring) Where have I seen you before, little fighter?
Selene feels the weight of a gaze. Her instincts sharpen.
She turns. Their eyes meet.
A slow, deliberate stare. A man dressed in all black, his suit tailored to perfection. Sharp jaw, unreadable expression. Something in his gaze feels… familiar.
Selene Maristelle
(internally) Who…?
Nia Solenne
(nudging her) You okay?
Selene Maristelle
(blinking) Yeah… just thought I—
She looks back. The man is gone.
Selene brushes off the feeling, but she has no idea that she’s already caught his attention.
And Lucian Vale never loses interest in something he wants.
Chapter 3: An Unwanted Invitation
Selene Maristelle doesn’t believe in coincidences. But when the same stranger from the café appears again, she realizes this is something far more dangerous than a fleeting glance.
Two days had passed since the incident at Café Amour. Selene had almost forgotten about the man in black—almost.
Nia Solenne
(grinning) You coming tonight?
Selene Maristelle
(raising a brow) Where?
Nia Solenne
(dramatic sigh) The opening of that new rooftop lounge, Celestine. Everyone’s going. Even the rich ones.
Selene Maristelle
(smirking) And you think I belong with the rich ones?
Nia Solenne
Please, you could outshine half of them. Come on, it’s just for fun.
Selene Maristelle
(hesitates) I don’t know…
Selene had never been a fan of crowded places. But Nia’s pleading look was hard to ignore.
That night, Selene gives in. Dressed in a sleek black dress—simple but striking—she follows Nia into the neon-lit entrance of Celestine. Music thrums through the air, a mix of soft chatter and clinking glasses filling the rooftop.
She barely takes two steps inside before she feels it.
Lucian Vale
(leaning against the bar, eyes locked on her) You’re late.
Selene Maristelle
(freezing) …Excuse me?
He moves. Slow, deliberate. Close enough for her to catch the faint scent of expensive cologne—dark, woody, dangerous.
Lucian Vale
I expected to see you sooner.
Selene Maristelle
(coldly) And who exactly are you?
Lucian smirks. The kind of smirk that feels like a silent challenge.
Lucian Vale
Someone who doesn’t like being ignored.
Selene should walk away. She should tell him to leave her alone.But something about him—his presence, his words—makes it impossible to move.
And when Lucian Vale sets his sights on something, he never lets go.
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