The evening felt light and playful. You went out with your friends to shop and enjoy your summer break from campus.

On the way, you stood half up in the Lamborghini, laughing as the wind brushed against your face. Your hair flowed behind you, and your friends kept hyping you up, calling you the main character of the night.

At the mall, you bought many things, even small gifts for your friends. After that, you all sat inside a private shop and started playing truth or dare. Everyone was laughing and teasing until it was your turn.

“Of course I’ll choose dare,” you said with a confident smile.

The moment the words left your lips, your friends burst out laughing.

“Kiss a random man and run!”

Your heart skipped. You had never done something like that before. It felt impossible. But everyone was watching, and you didn’t want to back down. Taking a deep breath, you nodded.

You stepped out and looked around. Most of the people were older, and you felt even more nervous. Then your eyes landed on a man sitting alone on a lounge, a black Doberman resting calmly beside him.

He looked… different.

His face was sharp and serious, his brows slightly furrowed, fingers tapping lightly as if he was waiting for something. There was a quiet strength around him that made your heart beat faster.

Before you could overthink, you covered part of your face and walked closer.

And then… you did it.

You leaned in and pressed your lips against his.

For a second, everything went still. He didn’t move. Didn’t react.

Your heart raced as you quickly pulled away and ran, your friends cheering loudly from a distance.

Behind you, the dog barked and moved forward, but the man stopped him.

“No… not now,” he said quietly, still frozen in place.

His hand slowly rose to his lips, as if trying to understand what just happened.

And then he was gone...

A few days later, your family was invited to a grand gala. You were excited, dressed beautifully in red, feeling like a princess for the night.

But the moment you stepped inside, your breath caught.

Him.

Bruce Graham.

He stood among the crowd, looking even more handsome and powerful than before. For a moment, you froze, afraid he might recognize you.

Thankfully, he didn’t. But his dog did.

The Doberman (dog) suddenly lifted his head, eyes locking onto you. He started barking, pulling slightly on the leash.

Bruce turned.

And this time, his eyes met yours. Something changed in his expression.

You didn’t wait. You turned and ran.

Through the crowd, out of the hall, not stopping until you reached a quiet place near a small waterfall. You bent down, trying to catch your breath, your heart pounding loudly in your chest.

Then suddenly-

Strong arms wrapped around your waist, lifting you slightly off the ground. You gasped.

“What did you think?” his deep voice came close to your ear, softer than before but filled with something intense.

“That you could just disappear after that?”

“I’m sorry,” you said quickly, your voice shaking. “It was just a dare. Please… let me go.”

But he didn’t.

Instead, he held you closer, his face near your neck as he breathed in slowly, like he had finally found something he had been missing.

“I’ve been looking for you,” he murmured.

Your heart skipped.

“I lost something important that day,” he continued softly. “But after you… I couldn’t think about anything else.”

His grip tightened just a little, not painful, just… unwilling to let go.

“I tried to forget,” he admitted. “But I couldn’t forget you. Your scent… the way you felt… it stayed with me.”

You felt your cheeks heat up, your breath uneven.

“And now that I’ve found you…” his voice dropped into a quiet whisper, almost gentle,

“I don’t think I can let you go again. I found something more precious in the search of a device, and it’s you...”