It had been raining nonstop since afternoon, the kind of cold rain that soaked through everything. She walked home from school with her umbrella pulled low, backpack heavy on her shoulders, the streets of her neighborhood unusually quiet. This town had a reputation. People didn’t wander at night. People minded their business.

She was doing exactly that—until she heard it.

Heavy breathing. Ragged. Coming from an alley to her right.

Her steps slowed before she could stop herself. She turned her head just enough to look, heart sinking as she spotted a man crouched against the brick wall. He was tall and broad-shouldered, dressed in a dark suit that looked expensive even soaked through. His posture was tense, one hand pressed firmly to his side where blood seeped between his fingers, dripping onto the rain-slick pavement.

When he lifted his head, she caught a clearer look at him. Sharp cheekbones, a tired but hardened face, dark hair damp and slightly disheveled. Faint stubble lined his jaw, emphasizing the deep lines of strain beneath his eyes. His expression was unreadable, cold even through pain.

His gaze locked onto hers instantly. Focused. Calculating. Dangerous, even wounded.

“Go home,” he said, voice low and strained. “You didn’t see me.”

She tightened her grip on the umbrella, frozen in place. The rain kept falling, the alley felt too narrow, and for the first time that night, she wasn’t sure if walking away was the safest choice.