Episode 1: A Fateful Encounter

Heavy rain poured down onto empty streets of Manhattan in that eerie glow which danced across dim lampposts. Elena Carter tightened her coat around her body as she ran toward the nearest coffee shop, her heels clicking against the wet pavement. Now she has spent the whole day at the publishing house until late making yet another best seller and honestly what she feels like right now is that she needs a steaming good cup of warm caramel latte before she goes home.

As she pushed the door open, she heard a tiny bell tinkle above her head, like a friendly little music box chiming in greeting. The scent of fresh brewed coffee mingled seamlessly with the warmth of freshly baked pastries as a soothing sanctuary for worn out spirits, belied by the storm raging outside. She walked in and thwacked droplets off her trench coat before making her way over to the register. “One caramel latte, please,” she said softly, offering the barista a tired smile.

As her hand went for her wallet, a deep voice pierced through that background murmur. “Make that two,” the man beside her said. Elena turned, her heart skipping a beat. Standing next to her was a man she had never seen before—tall, with tousled dark hair and piercing green eyes that held a mysterious depth. His expensive suit was slightly damp from the rain, but it only added to his rugged charm. She arched an eyebrow. “Excuse me?” He smirked, his gaze unwavering.

“You look like you’ve had a long day. Consider it my treat.” Elena was just about to say no but the barista came over and handed drinks to both of them. The stranger took his cup, handed hers over, and then stepped aside, waiting as if expecting her to join him at one of the corner booths. There was something undeniably intriguing about him, something that sent a shiver down her spine—not from fear, but from curiosity.

After a brief hesitation, she walked over and sat across from him. “Do you always buy coffee for strangers?” He chuckled, taking a slow sip of his drink. For those who seem to need just a little more kindness in their lives. She watched him for a bit, trying to guess his mind. “Who are you?” A flicker of amusement danced in his eyes. “Nathan Blackwood. And you are?” “Elena Carter.” He repeated her name, as if tasting it on the tip of his tongue. “Beautiful name.”

A warm glow tingled through her at his words, but before she could lose herself in it, she blotted that feeling away with a sip of her latte. “So, what’s your story, Nathan Blackwood?” Nathan let out a slow breath after a moment and a shadow crossed over his face but soon he cracked a smile. Let’s just say I’m a man desperately flying away from the shadows of my past. Elena scowled and there was definitely something deeper to the statement he was not revealing outright.

She felt this heavy burden not spoken, this silent pull dragging her toward him. But before she could ask more, his phone buzzed on the table. He looked at the screen and immediately his whole demeanor changed right there. The playful smirk was gone, replaced by a look of pure intensity. “I have to go,” he said abruptly, standing up.

“But I’ll see you again, Elena. That’s a promise.” But before she could say a word, he was already out in the rain rushing through the night. Elena sat there, gripping her cup tightly. Who was Nathan Blackwood? And why did she feel that her life now felt set on a course she just couldn’t look away from?