chapter1
“Ever wondered what it’s like to really fall for someone?”
Dorothy Sanchez, away on a business trip and a little tipsy, should have been fast asleep. But the moment she closed her eyes, Karen Miller’s words started playing in her mind like a record on repeat.
“It’s more than just exciting; you’ve gotta find someone special while you’re young. If you don’t know where to start, you should at least open yourself up to the possibility. Don’t be so guarded; I’ve got plenty of stories and advice that could help you understand what you've been missing out on.”
What was her response at that time? She couldn’t remember.
She lay on the hotel bed in a daze. Her delicate face was flushed from the alcohol, and her thick, long hair was spread out all over the pillow.
In a month, she’d be twenty-six. She was a grown woman who had never truly been in a relationship. She still hadn't experienced a real spark with anyone, let alone anything deeper.
That wasn’t the first time Karen had brought it up. Her friend was always teasing her about her single life. But tonight, for some reason, the conversation stirred an unfamiliar longing in her, and the alcohol only amplified the quiet loneliness she usually ignored.
Dorothy turned over, feeling a restless energy she couldn't suppress. She abruptly sat up.
Licking her dry lips, she reached for her phone. Her vision was a bit blurry from the drinks. Finding the name “Lopez” in her contacts, she tapped on it with a sudden, wine-induced boldness.
“Send me something interesting. I want to see what I’m missing.”
The reply was instantaneous. A single question mark.
Dorothy’s eyebrows furrowed. Her playfulness was peaking. “Don’t be so serious! Send me a suggestion or just come over and tell me yourself. I’m in room 1501.”
She ended the message with a playful smiley face.
After sending it, she waited for a while. There was no further reply. Just as she propped herself up to get a glass of water, the doorbell rang.
Without much thought, she walked over and swung the door open. Surely Karen wouldn’t have actually sent someone to check on her in the middle of the night, would she?
But when the door opened, the cool air from the hallway made Dorothy instantly sober up.
“Lopez… Mr. Lopez?”
He looked as though he had just stepped out of the shower. His dark hair was still damp, and he wore a deep charcoal silk robe tied loosely at his waist. The sharp lines of his collarbone and the firm silhouette of his shoulders were framed by the doorway.
His presence seemed to fill the entire space. His handsome face was partially shadowed; his eyes, usually cold and professional, now held an intense, unreadable gaze that felt like a magnetic force.
“You asked for… this?” his voice was low, vibrating with an intensity she hadn't heard before.
Before she could find her voice to explain the mistake, the atmosphere in the small entryway shifted. The tension was palpable.
She caught the faint scent of expensive cologne mixed with a hint of something stronger. In her dazed state, the world seemed to tilt.
Moments later, the distance between them vanished. As they moved into the room, the moonlight through the window cast long shadows across the floor. The soft white linen of the bed contrasted sharply with his dark attire, creating a scene that felt like a vivid dream.
Everett Lopez was clearly not his usual, composed self tonight. Why else would the CEO of the Prosperity Consortium be standing here, in her room, looking at her this way?
She hesitated for a split second, then the reality of her long-standing, hidden admiration for him surfaced. He likely didn't remember her—didn't remember they had once been classmates years ago, or that she had sat just a desk away from him for an entire year.
In this moment, under the hazy glow of the city lights outside, she felt a surge of uncharacteristic courage. She didn't want to be the invisible assistant anymore. As he drew nearer, she reached out, letting the quiet longings of the past decade guide her hand as she pulled him closer into the shadows.