Elara couldn't sleep.
The moment she closed her eyes, she saw the hooded man from the meeting—his stare, his smirk, the way he mouthed those haunting words:
"Do you remember?"
She sat up in bed, pressing a palm to her chest. The burning had stopped, but the fear hadn't.
It felt like her ninth life was clawing its way back to her tenth.
Her apartment was quiet—too quiet. The night outside her window felt heavy, as if something pressed against the darkness, watching her from the shadows. She pulled her knees to her chest, rocking slightly.
"It's okay… it's okay… breathe."
But it didn't feel okay.
If someone from her past life had found her, then everything she'd been running from was catching up.
And worse…
If the CEO was really Adrian reborn—
She hugged herself tightly.
Why now?
Why here?
Why him?
Why again?
She shook her head. "Get a grip, Elara. You can't lose control."
Her alarm buzzed at 5:30 AM, slicing through her thoughts. Another workday. Another day of seeing him.
She forced herself out of bed.
---
At Orion Corp
Stepping into the building felt like stepping into a battlefield. Her fingers trembled as she swiped her access card, hoping no one noticed the nerves tightening her movements.
She took her seat at her desk, turned on her computer, and inhaled deeply.
Focus.
Work.
No past lives. No hooded strangers. No memories trying to kill her.
Just work.
She typed a few lines, organized the CEO's agenda, and arranged files for the morning briefing. Everything felt normal.
Until the glass door to his office opened.
She looked up.
He stepped out slowly, but his gaze was sharper than yesterday—observant, almost too aware.
"Elara," he said quietly.
Her spine went straight. "Yes, sir?"
"Step inside for a moment."
Her heart flipped.
But she stood, walked into his office, and closed the door behind her.
He didn't sit.
He stood near the windows, back turned to her, his hands in his pockets.
"Elara…" His voice was low. Controlled. Too calm. "You looked… distressed yesterday."
Her pulse spiked.
"I— I wasn't feeling well," she replied quickly.
He turned.
His eyes held hers.
"No," he said softly. "It was more than that."
Her breath caught.
He stepped closer—not too close, but close enough that she felt the shift in the air.
"Something frightened you," he continued. "You almost collapsed."
Elara froze.
How much had he noticed? Why did he sound… concerned?
She forced a tiny laugh. "It was just stress, sir."
"Stress doesn't make your eyes look like you've seen a ghost."
Her heart thudded painfully.
He walked around his desk and leaned against the edge, folding his arms, still watching her carefully.
"Elara…" his voice softened, "I asked yesterday and I'm asking again—have we met before?"
Her breath hitched.
This again.
She shook her head firmly. "No, sir."
But he didn't believe her.
She could see it written in the quiet tension in his shoulders, in the sharpness of his stare. He felt something too—he just didn't know what it meant.
"Elara," he said, his tone taking a more serious edge, "I don't like when people hide the truth from me."
"I'm not hiding anything," she whispered.
His jaw tightened.
And before she realized it, he stepped closer again.
"Elara… when I look at you, I feel…" He stopped, frowned slightly, searching for the right word. "Familiarity. As if I should recognize you."
Her heartbeat roared.
Adrian.
Ninth life.
Fire.
Death.
Pain.
She stepped back instinctively. "Sir, I—I think you're overthinking it."
He exhaled sharply, his brows pulling together.
"Maybe," he murmured. "Or maybe not."
They stared at each other—silent, tense, confused, drawn together by something bigger than either of them understood.
A knock at the door shattered the moment.
"Sir, the board is here," Julia called.
He looked away first.
"Go," he said quietly.
She fled.
---
A Warning She Didn't Ask For
Elara returned to her desk, her mind spinning like a broken carousel. She tried focusing on her screen when a small notification popped up.
Unknown Number:
You can't pretend forever.
Her blood turned cold.
Her hands shook as she clicked the message.
Another text came immediately:
Unknown Number:
He remembers more than you think.
And I'm not the only one watching.
Elara snapped up from her seat, scanning the office. Nothing. No hooded man. No suspicious figure.
But someone was watching.
Someone who knew.
She hurried to delete the messages, her heart pounding in her ears.
What did they want?
Why now?
What did they know about Adrian—about the CEO?
She swallowed hard, trying to calm her trembling fingers when the elevator dinged.
And her world froze.
The hooded man stepped out.
In broad daylight.
In the middle of Orion Corp.
No hood this time—but still dressed in dark clothes, still carrying the same unsettling aura. His eyes found hers instantly.
He smiled.
Not a normal smile.
A knowing, dangerous one.
He walked straight toward her.
She couldn't breathe.
"Hello, Elara," he said, voice disturbingly smooth.
She stared, frozen. "W-who are you?"
He leaned on her desk, lowering his voice. "Someone who has known you longer than he has."
Her skin crawled.
"What do you want from me?"
His eyes flickered mischievously. "Nothing… yet."
He glanced at the CEO's office.
Then he lowered his voice even more:
"Be careful with him."
Elara's heart dropped. "Why?"
"Because the man you're working for," the stranger whispered, "is not who he thinks he is."
Her throat tightened.
"What does that mean?"
He smirked. "You'll find out soon."
Before she could speak again, the CEO's office door opened.
The stranger straightened immediately.
The CEO stepped out, saw him, and froze.
A dangerous silence crackled in the air.
The two men looked at each other like they knew something Elara didn't.
Something deep.
Something old.
Something deadly.
"Elara," the CEO said slowly, eyes never leaving the stranger, "who is this?"
The stranger smiled wider.
"Introduce me to your boss, Elara.
It's been a long time."
Her stomach twisted violently.
Long time…?
As in… another life?
The CEO took a step forward, his voice cold. "I've never seen him before."
The stranger tilted his head. "Haven't you?"
He tapped a finger against Elara's desk.
Then whispered:
"History repeats itself… especially when you refuse to remember it."
The CEO's eyes darkened.
The stranger winked at Elara.
And then—
He walked out.
Calm. Slow. Confident. Like he owned the place.
The CEO turned to Elara, his voice low and controlled:
"Elara… what is going on?"
She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.
Because she didn't know what scared her more:
The stranger's warning…
Or the fear in the CEO's eyes.