Chapter 1:

The Unexpected Reunion

I pushed open the glass doors of the campus food cafe, the smell of fresh coffee and toasted sandwiches hitting me like a warm hug. It was only my third day at university, and everything still felt new and slightly terrifying. Lectures, orientation sessions, and the endless sea of unfamiliar faces had left me exhausted. I just wanted a quiet corner and something sweet to settle my nerves.

Then I saw her.

She stood near the entrance, tall and effortlessly striking, scrolling through her phone with one hand while balancing a takeaway cup in the other. My heart stopped for a full second. Those long...