episode 1: The Beginning of it all

...The Beginning of It All...

The café smelled of fresh espresso and caramel, a comforting warmth against the cool evening breeze. Scarlett sat by the window, fingers wrapped around her latte, staring out at the city lights. She loved nights like this—quiet, simple, and free of drama. At least, that was what she had thought before tonight.

“You’re zoning out,” her friend Lily teased, nudging her shoulder. “You know, this is supposed to be fun, not some deep-thinking session.”

Scarlett let out a small laugh. “I know, I know. I just—” Her voice trailed off when her gaze landed on him.

Valen.

The guy Lily had been so eager for her to meet. He walked in with an air of quiet confidence, dark hair falling slightly over his eyes, dressed in a fitted black jacket that made him look effortlessly cool. His presence demanded attention, but he didn’t seem to seek it.

He glanced around before spotting them. His lips curved into a smirk as he approached, hands casually tucked into his pockets.

“You must be Scarlett,” he said smoothly, his voice rich with amusement.

Scarlett blinked, caught off guard by his directness. “And you must be Valen.”

“I like how you say my name,” he remarked, pulling out a chair and sitting across from her without waiting for an invitation.

Lily giggled, obviously enjoying the interaction. “I told you he was charming.”

Scarlett arched a brow, leaning back slightly. “I’ll be the judge of that.”

Valen chuckled, tilting his head as if studying her. “Fair enough. So, tell me, Scarlett—what kind of boyfriend do you need?”

The question caught her completely off guard.

Lily gasped. “Valen!”

“What?” He shrugged. “I like knowing what a girl wants before she even realizes it herself.”

Scarlett narrowed her eyes, intrigued but cautious. “That’s a bold assumption.”

“Not really,” Valen countered, his gaze never wavering. “Think about it. Everyone has an idea of what they want. So, what’s yours?”

Scarlett hesitated. No one had ever asked her that before—not like this, with such directness, as if he actually wanted to know.

She set her cup down, meeting his gaze. “Someone who doesn’t lie. Someone who doesn’t play games.”

Valen’s smirk softened, his eyes flickering with something unreadable. “That’s rare these days.”

“That’s the point,” she murmured.

For a moment, there was silence. Not awkward, but charged—like something had shifted between them. Valen leaned forward slightly, resting his arms on the table. “I like that answer.”

Scarlett wasn’t sure why, but the way he said it made her heart race.

Lily sighed dramatically. “Wow. I feel like I’m third-wheeling already.”

Scarlett rolled her eyes, though she couldn’t hide the small smile that tugged at her lips. Maybe Lily had been right to push her into this meeting.

As the night went on, their conversation flowed effortlessly. Valen was witty, confident, and had a way of making Scarlett feel like the only person in the room.

And that was how it all started.

A few days later, Scarlett found herself in an unexpected situation.

She had barely mentioned Valen to her other friends, yet somehow, they already had opinions about him.

“You’re not actually thinking about dating him, are you?” One of them, Mia, asked, arms crossed.

Scarlett frowned. “Why does it sound like that would be a bad thing?”

Mia sighed. “Scar, listen. Valen is… complicated. He’s a playboy, a heartbreaker. He’s had so many exes I’ve lost count.”

Another friend, Jake, chimed in. “Yeah, he’s the type of guy who loses interest fast. You’d just be another name on his list.”

Scarlett’s stomach twisted slightly. She wasn’t naïve—she knew Valen had a reputation, but was it really that bad?

Lily, who had set them up, scoffed. “Come on, guys. He’s not that bad.”

Mia shook her head. “You don’t get it. He knows exactly how to make a girl fall for him, and then—boom, he moves on.”

Scarlett bit her lip, their words lingering in her mind.

That night, as she lay in bed, she replayed everything. Valen did seem too smooth, too effortless in his charm. But wasn’t that just confidence? Was it fair to judge him based on his past?

Or was she making a mistake?

She just didn’t know yet.

And that uncertainty was exactly what made everything spiral out of control.

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