Chapter 1 – Cold Encounter

Hi everyone I just remind you this story is fictional, the time, person, place is all fake...Thats all and I hope u enjoy reading.

...ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ...

[*Vince P**ov*]

The city never slept, and neither did I. Sitting behind my polished mahogany desk, I watched the rain streak down the glass walls of my penthouse office. The lights of Metro City shimmered like scattered diamonds below, indifferent to the lives crawling in its streets.

I didn’t care for the chaos. I didn’t care for people. Love? That was a fairy tale for the weak. I had learned that the hard way. My parents gone, My family is broken. I had nothing but my empire, my business, and the control I held over every corner of my world. And that was enough or so I told myself.

A soft knock on the door broke the quiet hum of the city outside.

“Come in,” I said, voice cold, measured, distant.

The door opened, and a boy stepped in bright eyed, messy hair, and a smile that dared to reach every corner of the room. I immediately wanted to roll my eyes.

“Hi! I’m Mark Denoso,” he said cheerfully, oblivious to my icy stare. “I’m here for the project discussion?”

I tilted my head, studying him. He was young 22 yrs old, barely out of college, but there was…something in his energy. Something infuriatingly bright.

“You’re late, I don’t have time for introductions.” I said flatly.

Mark blinked but didn’t falter. “Sorry! I took the bus. Traffic was terrible, but I made it!” His smile didn’t waver. It felt like a slap to my carefully maintained calm.

I leaned back, crossing my arms. “Traffic excuses are meaningless. You either plan properly, or you fail.”

He chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his neck. “Yeah…planning. Right. Got it.”

Inside, something in me bristled. Who was this kid, daring to smile at me like the world was a playground? I had no patience for sunshine. No patience for people who thought happiness was that simple.

...------//-------------//------------//-------...

[*Mark P**ov*]

Vince Mondragon. The name alone sounded like someone straight out of a magazine perfectly sculpted, impossibly wealthy, and icy enough to freeze a river. And yes, I was terrified. But at the same time…there was something magnetic about him. He didn’t smile. Not once. His eyes were sharp, calculating. And yet, as he studied me, I felt like he was trying to see through me, peeling away layers I didn’t even know I had.

“Okay…So…about the project. You want me to take over the marketing strategy for your new line, right?” I said, trying to keep my nerves in check.

He nodded once, almost imperceptibly.“Do it right. I don’t tolerate mistakes.”

I swallowed. “Got it. No mistakes.”

I wanted to reach out, to say something like don’t worry, I’ll make you proud, but the aura around him was suffocating. Still…my curiosity wouldn’t let me turn away.

...------//-------------//-------------//------...

[*Vince Po*v]

The kid was annoyingly persistent. He didn’t cower under my tone. Didn’t flinch at my words. It was…strange. Irritatingly strange.

I picked up the project files, flipping through them with clinical precision. “This campaign has multiple flaws. Your preliminary ideas predictable. Safe. Weak. Are you always this optimistic despite mediocrity?”

Mark’s eyebrows shot up. “Mediocrity?” His voice was calm, but there was a spark in his eyes. “I wouldn’t call it that. I’d call it…potential waiting to explode.”

I blinked. The nerve. Potential waiting to explode. Who talks like that?

“You’re…bold,” I said, though my tone was neutral. In truth, I didn’t know if I was impressed or just annoyed.

Mark shrugged, leaning casually against the edge of my desk. “Someone’s gotta make the world interesting, right?”

Interesting. That word was dangerous. It hinted at life. At laughter. At warmth. Things I hadn’t felt in years.

...-----//---------------//-------------//-----...

[Mark Pov]

I could feel his gaze on me, sharp enough to cut glass. And yet…there was something broken behind it. A sadness buried so deep it made his coldness even more frightening.

I wanted to ask him, what happened to you? But I didn’t. Some walls weren’t meant to be crossed so easily. Not yet.

"So... I’ll take care of this project. I promise you won’t regret it.” I tried again, forcing my smile,

He looked at me long and hard, silence stretching uncomfortably between us,“I don’t need promises. I need results” he said, softly but with finality.

I nodded. I could work with that. And yet, somewhere deep inside, I knew this wasn’t just about work.

...-------//---------//-------------//---------...

[*Vince P**ov*]

After he left, the office felt colder than ever. I tried to focus on the reports, the numbers, the endless meetings but I couldn’t shake the image of that boy’s bright, infuriating smile.

It was impossible. I didn’t want it. I didn’t need it.

But for the first time in years, I wondered what would it feel like to let someone in? To let warmth touch me again?

I quickly shoved the thought away. I couldn’t afford weakness. Not again.

Yet somehow…Mark Denoso had already started melting corners of my frozen world

...------//------------//---------------//-----...

[Mark Pov]

Walking out of the building, I felt a strange mix of excitement and fear. That man…Vince Mondragon…was infuriatingly cold, and yet there was something beneath that icy surface. Something I wanted to reach.

I didn’t know if he’d ever let anyone close. But I was determined to try.

...-------//--------------//-----------//------...

{Writer Pov}

Little did they know…there lives were about to collide in ways neither of they could predict. And that collision? It would change everything.

...-------End of Chapter 1-------...

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***