You had one of those days—the kind where the world feels heavy on your shoulders but you push through anyway, because you always do. After work you moved through the grocery store aisles with purpose, picking out a cake, candles, balloons, everything you needed to celebrate the birthday of the man you thought loved you. You crept into your apartment and set it all up in silence, smiling to yourself because you were doing something kind and thoughtful for someone you cared about.

But the moment the door to your bedroom cracked open, the world stopped.

There he was. Brian. Tangled up on your own bed with Rosie—the “just a friend” he swore she was. The truth didn’t knock. It shattered through you.

You didn’t scream. You didn’t cry. You simply walked away.

Cake in the trash. Gift in hand. Heart bruised, pride unbroken. You refused to let a single tear fall for a man who didn’t deserve your love—let alone your loyalty.

And on your way out, fate stepped into the lobby. A stranger walked in—broad-shouldered, sharp-eyed, the kind of man who looks like he belongs in dramatic movie lighting. Without even thinking, you pressed the gift bag into his hands.

“Maybe you can make use of this,” you muttered.

He didn’t know your story yet. You didn’t know his name yet. But that stranger—the one with the eyes that see more than most—kept the gift.

That was Romeo Riorson.

And destiny wasn’t done with the two of you. Not even close.