The morning air carried a soft chill, the kind that lingered just long enough to make the warmth of fresh coffee feel earned. People moved in and out of the café in quiet waves, brief conversations blending with the steady hum of machines and the muted rhythm of the city beyond the glass.

Sofia stepped out with her cup in hand, her mind already drifting toward the day ahead. She carried herself with a slim, elegant build, her warm olive skin smooth beneath light makeup that highlighted a refined face shaped by high cheekbones and soft features.

Bam!

She collided with someone the moment she crossed the doorway. The impact was light, but the result was not. Her coffee tipped forward, spilling across the front of a dark shirt.

"Oh my God!" she gasped, her eyes widening in horror. "I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you, I was just—"

Her words tangled as instinct took over. She reached forward immediately, her hands brushing at the stain as if she could undo it before it set.

"I’m so, so sorry," she repeated, her voice tight with embarrassment as she focused on the damage she had caused.

Then she looked up and froze.

For a moment, everything else faded.

His face. The calm in his eyes. The way he stood there, completely unbothered, as though none of this mattered.

It was love at first sight.

Sofia’s breath caught, her thoughts stalling in a way she could not explain.

"It’s alright," Damian said gently, a faint smile forming on his lips. "I should be the one apologizing. I wasn’t paying attention either."

His voice was smooth, effortless, disarming.

Sofia blinked, still dazed, her hands slowly retreating as she realized how close she had gotten.

"No, that was completely my fault," she said quickly, shaking her head. "I ruined your shirt. I’ll... I’ll get it cleaned, I promise."

Damian glanced down at the stain before letting out a quiet chuckle.

"It’s just a shirt," he said. "Honestly, I was on my way to get coffee anyway. Let me at least replace yours."

He gestured lightly toward the café behind them.

Sofia hesitated for a fraction of a second, then shook her head again, a small smile breaking through her embarrassment.

"No, I insist. I’m the one who caused this," she said, her tone soft but firm. "The least I can do is buy you one."

Damian held her gaze for a moment, as though weighing the offer, then gave a small nod.

"Alright," he said. "If you insist."

They stepped back inside together. The warmth of the café wrapped around them as they joined the short line. Sofia found her attention drifting back to him again and again.

"So... busy morning?" Damian asked casually.

Sofia let out a quiet laugh, still recovering. "You could say that. I think I just proved I shouldn’t be trusted with coffee before work."

"Or doors," Damian added lightly.

She smiled at that, her shoulders easing.

They moved forward, placing their orders, the conversation staying light and effortless. The kind of small talk that should have meant nothing, yet somehow didn’t.

"Nice day, though," Damian said, glancing toward the window. "Feels like the city is behaving for once."

Sofia followed his gaze and nodded. "Yeah... it’s rare."

She found herself smiling again without understanding why. When their drinks were ready, they stepped aside, the moment stretching just slightly longer than necessary.

Sofia reached into her bag and pulled out a card, holding it out to him.

"Here," she said. "For the dry cleaning. Please... let me fix at least that."

Damian looked at the card, then back at her, his expression softening with quiet amusement.

"If I take this, it feels like I’m letting you off too easily," he said slowly.

Sofia blinked, caught off guard. "What do you mean?"

He smiled, just enough to shift the air between them.

"If you really want to make it up to me, you could let me take you out for dinner instead."

For a moment, she didn’t respond.

A faint warmth crept into her cheeks, her grip tightening slightly around her bag.

"That’s... a little unfair," she murmured, though there was no real resistance in her voice.

"Is it?" Damian asked lightly.

Sofia hesitated, then smiled, softer this time.

"...Alright," she said.

Damian reached into his pocket and handed her his number, their fingers brushing briefly in the exchange.

"Text me," he said. "We’ll figure out a time."

Sofia nodded, her eyes lingering on him just a moment longer than necessary.

"Yeah... I will."

There was a brief pause, the kind that could have stretched if either of them allowed it.

But they didn’t.

With one final glance, they turned in opposite directions, stepping back into their separate worlds. Yet for Sofia, the day no longer felt the same.

For Damain, however, it was simply another day.

The moment he stepped into the car, he passed the coffee to Loth from the back seat.

"Coffee?"

Loth was caught off guard by the offer. She had not expected Damain to get her one.

"Thank you." She smiled softly and accepted it with both hands, her fingers brushing lightly against his, sending a quiet wave through her body.

Her face flushed as she lowered her gaze and sipped her coffee in silence, while Damain remained too distracted to notice his daydreaming driver. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

He leaned back into his seat, pulled out his phone, and, as expected, found several messages from Clara carrying the information he had requested.

A slow smile crept onto his face as he muttered, "Perfect."

He had more than enough time to pay Delaney’s campaign aide a visit before heading to work. This man was a key piece in his plan.

"Ethan Mercer..." Damain murmured, the name of the thirty-four-year-old man who had once served as Delaney’s senior campaign aide and operations director.

The last thing he needed was for this man to turn and testify against Delaney.

"Take me to this address... There is someone we need to pay a visit."

A sinister grin spread across Damain’s face as his eyes flickered with a faint violet light.