Ethan Cross couldn’t shake the encounter from his mind. The mysterious girl who had saved his life with nothing but a kiss and a warning lingered in his thoughts. He found himself back at the alley the following evening, looking for her — the girl named Lena Hart who noticed things.
He spotted her just as she was about to slip into the crowd at the corner of Fifth and Main. “Lena!” he called out, his voice a mixture of urgency and relief. She paused, turning slowly, her eyes meeting his with a hint of amusement and wariness.
“I didn’t think I’d see you again,” she said, crossing her arms defensively.
“I owe you a thank you,” Ethan admitted, stepping closer. “And an apology for dragging you into my mess.”
Lena shrugged, a nonchalant gesture that belied the gravity of what had happened. “I’ve been in messier situations. Yours was just… different.”
