Chapter 4 Broken Reflections

The rain fell in sheets, coating the city in silver streaks as Lucian roamed the familiar streets, camera tucked beneath his coat. The morning's encounter with Amara played in his mind-the guarded smile, the lingering glance, the way she fled before the silence between them cracked entirely.

He should respect her walls. But curiosity had always been his flaw.

Through his lens, the world sharpened-reflections warped in rain-soaked glass, blurred headlights smearing the streets in molten gold. His shutter clicked, framing fragments of strangers beneath umbrellas.

But every silhouette reminded him of her.

Amara stood by her apartment window, watching droplets race down the glass. Her notebook lay abandoned, her coffee cold. Her fingers traced invisible shapes across the pane, memories tightening in her chest.

Lucian's eyes haunted her-the way they stripped away her practiced detachment, the quiet understanding she hadn't expected.

She hated how easily he unsettled her.

Her phone buzzed, startling her.

Unknown Number: You left in a hurry. Didn't get to ask your favorite color.

Her pulse spiked.

Lucian.

Beneath her annoyance flickered reluctant amusement.

Amara: Stalker vibes aren't a good look.

Lucian: Photographer. We blur boundaries professionally.

A small laugh escaped her lips before she caught herself.

She should block him.

Instead...

Amara: Blue. But don't overthink it.

Lucian: Too late.

Shaking her head, Amara closed her blinds, but the hollow ache within her chest softened slightly.

She wasn't ready for him. But somehow, Lucian was already finding the fractures.

And part of her wondered if that terrified her more than the silence.