I didn't expect to see him again like this.
The café was quiet, sunlight filtering through the glass walls. I was reviewing land surveys on my tablet when I felt it.
A presence.
Strong. Steady.
Familiar.
When I looked up, my breath almost caught.
Luis Ray.
Luis Ray
Three years older than me. Childhood playmate. The quiet boy I used to beat at board games during family gatherings because he was too slow to argue back.
Our parents were close business friends. We practically grew up attending the same birthdays, the same corporate dinners.
Back then?
He was painfully nerdy.
Thick glasses. Hair stiff with too much gel. Polo shirt tucked into shorts. Braces flashing whenever he awkwardly smiled.
I used to find him stiff. Too serious.
Especially in college. He became even quieter. More distant.
We drifted apart—only exchanging polite nods during company parties.
But the man sitting across the café now?
Was not the same boy.
No glasses.
Sharp gray eyes.
Long lashes that almost looked unfair on a man.
Tall, intimidatingly tall. Black hair neatly styled but effortless. Clean jawline. Smooth skin. A straight nose. Perfect teeth.
A tailored suit fit him like armor.
His aura filled the room.
Power. Control. Confidence.
You wouldn't think he was once the awkward kid with braces.
Now he was always on business magazine covers. CEO of a massive real estate empire, condominiums, agricultural lands, commercial properties.
And occasionally entertainment headlines, linked to actresses, models, socialites.
Not a playboy.
Just… desired.
We only nodded at each other when we met.
Until today.
He was alone at a corner table, checking his watch as if waiting for someone.
This was my chance.
I hesitated.
Would he even give me time?
Luis Ray was known for being ruthless in negotiations and impossible to schedule without weeks of notice.
But I didn't have weeks.
The outbreak was accelerating.
News overseas was worsening by the day.
If I could secure remote land through him, permits and transfers would be processed immediately.
No delays. No suspicion.
And Luis had access to properties no one else did.
I stood up before I could lose my nerve.
As I approached, his eyes lifted.
They locked onto mine instantly.
Recognition flickered.
Then something unreadable.
I stopped beside his table. "Luis."
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"Mia."
He said my name like he hadn't forgotten it once.
For a second, neither of us spoke.
The air felt… different.
Measured.
Careful.
I straightened. "Are you busy?"
A faint curve touched his lips.
"I always am."
Direct. Still the same.
I held his gaze steadily. "I need land. Remote. Private. Immediately."
His eyes didn't leave mine.
"For investment?" he asked calmly.
I paused.
For survival.
"For something important," I replied instead.
Silence stretched between us.
Then he leaned back slightly, studying me.
"You never approach people without a reason," he said quietly. "What are you planning, Mia?"
My heart beat once.
Hard.
Careful.
Calculated.
This man wasn't easy to fool.
And for the first time,
I wondered if Luis Ray might become more than just a business ally in the war that was coming.