Chapter 3: Past Revealed

[*Vince P*ov]

The city lights reflected off the office glass, but tonight, even their sparkle couldn’t pierce the shadows in my mind. Normally, work numbed everything. Numbers, contracts, deals they were predictable. Safe. But that boy…Mark Denoso…his energy, his warmth, it kept creeping into the edges of my carefully controlled world.

I tried to push it away. Focus on the quarterly reports, the meetings, the endless emails. But tonight, the memories wouldn’t let me. It was my twenty-second birthday.

I had just graduated from college, excited for the future. My parents were supposed to be there, smiling, proud. But the car crash…that’s all I remember. Screeching tires, shattered glass, and silence. My parents…gone. Just like that.

I had no siblings, no close relatives willing to take me in. My family, the people I loved most, were gone. My home was nothing but an empty apartment filled with echoes of laughter that no longer existed.

And that’s when I decided: emotions were dangerous. Love was dangerous. People were dangerous.

I built walls around my heart so high, so thick, that no one could ever get in or hurt me again......Until Mark.

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[Mark Pov]

It was late, and the office was emptying. Most people were already gone, but I stayed behind, trying to finish the marketing outline. Vince had left hours ago, or at least I thought he had.

“Mark?” a voice said softly behind me.

I turned and froze. Vince was standing there, hands in his pockets, his expression unreadable.

“You’re still here?” he asked, not really questioning, more observing.

“Uh…yeah, Just finishing some notes for tomorrow’s meeting.” I said.

He nodded, then leaned against the desk near mine. The silence stretched, heavy, and I realized he wasn’t leaving yet.

“You’re…different from most people, You…don’t fear me. Most people do. Most people run” he said finally. His voice was quieter than usual, almost vulnerable.

I swallowed, unsure what to say. “I…don’t know. I guess I just see people…for what they are. Not what they seem.”

He looked at me long and hard, like he was searching for something. And in that gaze, I saw it a flicker of pain, a shadow behind the ice.

"What happend to you?!" I asked gently.

...Vince’s gaze snapped up, cold and sharp again. “Nothing that concerns you.”...

... But I knew better....

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[Vince Pov]

**(Flashback)**

The first years after the accident were the hardest. I was alone. Friends tried, but they didn’t understand the weight of losing everyone. Teachers sympathized, relatives avoided me. Only the office became my sanctuary. Work was the one thing that didn’t betray me. Love, kindness, friendship they were luxuries I couldn’t afford.

I became Vince Mondragon, the CEO. Cold. Unreachable. Desirable to many, feared by all. A mask to hide the boy who had screamed into the void and received nothing back. And I was fine. Or so I thought.

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[Mark Pov]

I watched him, heart tightening. The walls were high, but I could see the cracks. And those cracks…they made me want to reach him even more.

“You don’t have to tell me, I just…want to understand.”

Vince’s jaw tightened. “Understanding won’t help. It won’t fix anything. Nothing fixes it.”

“I don’t know, Maybe not. But I can be here. If you let me” I said quietly.

His eyes lingered on mine, a storm of emotions behind the calm exterior. And for the first time, I thought I saw something like…hesitation. Something almost human.

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[Lia Pov]

The next morning, I couldn’t help but tease Mark mercilessly.

“So, spill! How was working late with Mr. Ice King?”

Mark blushed but grinned. “It wasn’t…that bad.”

“Not that bad? You practically confessed your soul to him!” I laughed. “Don’t tell me he scared you or—”

“Shh!” Mark hissed. “You don’t understand. There’s more to him than people see. I think…he’s been hurt. Really hurt.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Wow. Deep. Are you falling for him already?”

“I…maybe,” Mark admitted quietly.

I smirked knowingly. “Watch out, Mark. Hearts get broken here, not mended.”

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[Vince Pov]

I didn’t know how to process it. That kid…Mark…he stayed, he asked questions, he smiled. He laughed. He didn’t fear me, didn’t run. And worst of all, he made me want things I had long buried—friendship, warmth…maybe even love.

I hated him for it.

Yet, every time I caught his bright eyes on mine, every time he laughed at something trivial, I felt…something stir. Something dangerous. Something I had sworn never to feel again.....I needed to control it. I needed to stay distant.

But the walls were starting to crack. And I wasn’t sure I could stop it.

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[Mark Pov]

I noticed the way Vince’s fingers trembled slightly when he reached for his coffee. The way his eyes darkened when he stared out at the city, lost in thought.

He was a fortress. But fortresses have weaknesses. And I wanted to find his.

I didn’t know if he would ever let me in. I didn’t know if he could...But I was willing to try.

Because sometimes, the brightest light could reach the coldest heart.

...-------End of Chapter 3---------...

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