Brak!

Archen’s world was turned upside down in an instant. One moment, he was strolling across the street, enjoying the random, beautiful Tuesday, and the next, the tires of a car screeched against the asphalt, and he found himself colliding with its windshield.

His body slammed against the glass with a sickening thud before he was thrown to the ground, landing on the road with a painful groan. Fantastic. Just fantastic. This was not how he had planned to spend the day.

He heard the car come to an abrupt halt, followed by the sharp sound of a startled scream. Great. The driver was panicking. Archen glanced up, trying to regain his bearings, and noticed a crowd of eyes already on him—some with judgment, some with surprise. Perfect. Just the attention he needed.

A few moments later, the car’s door opened, and the driver stepped out. Archen winced as he pushed himself to a sitting position, cursing under his breath. When he looked up, he froze for a moment, not out of pain, but out of sheer disbelief.

It was a woman. And, of course, she was staring at him like he was some kind of fallen Greek god—jaw practically hanging open in awe. Archen couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Yes, he was ridiculously good-looking, but that didn’t mean he needed to be gawped at while lying on the ground.

She knelt beside him, her gaze still fixed on him with an almost adoring intensity. Archen’s annoyance flared, and he quickly pushed himself up, though his body protested.

"Can you stop staring and help me up?" he snapped, his voice laced with irritation. His gaze was sharp, his tone laced with arrogance. He was not about to become the subject of some random woman’s fascination, especially after being struck by her car.

It wasn’t exactly the way he had planned to spend this beautiful, chaotic Tuesday.