Chapter 2

• Three Months Later
• The sound of an alarm buzzing had Kaira Everhart stirring in bed. After working extra shifts at the coffee shop, she was utterly exhausted. Yesterday, staying an extra three hours after clocking out at nine had seemed like a great idea—until she remembered she had a shift at three in the morning for her first job before heading to the café again.
• For a full minute, she lay in bed staring at the ceiling. Her thoughts ran wild, almost all of them centered on one thing—calling in sick and staying in bed.
• But every penny she earned was the thread keeping her from homelessness. With a heavy heart, she got out of bed and dragged herself to the bathroom.
• A few minutes later, Kaira stood at her vanity. She fished out her brush and ran it through her tangled hair, then opened a drawer to grab a hair tie.
• That’s when she saw it—the diamond necklace the kind man had gifted her.
• She slowly set the brush down and picked it up, still in awe of its beauty.
• It wasn’t the first time she’d gotten lost staring at it. She often wondered what had happened to the older man. She’d returned to the hospital the next day to check on him, only to find he’d already been discharged. Worse, no one would give her his contact information.
• She remembered what he’d told her: “Keep it. Someday it will bring you good luck.”
• She sighed and tucked the necklace into her dress pocket.
• Today, she needed all the luck she could get
• ******
• Hours later, Kaira Everhart felt like she was about to pass out. Her feet were numb, her back ached, and sweat trickled down her temples, soaking into her hairline. Still, she pushed on.
• Late for her second shift, she sprinted, hoping to make it in time—so preoccupied that she didn’t notice the man stepping out of the café.
• She slammed right into him and ended up on the ground.
• “Watch the fuck where you’re going!” snapped Kai Sorrento, his tone sharp and bitter, sending a chill down her spine. It didn’t matter that his hulking frame was what caused the collision—he was already throwing blame at her.
• Normally, Kaira would have apologized. But not today. Not after no sleep, no break, and a hell of a morning.
• “No, you watch the fuck where you’re going. Use your fucking eyes, for fuck’s sake!” she snapped, standing up and dusting off her clothes without even glancing at him.
• He stared at her, flabbergasted. Then burst into laughter. The audacity of this girl. Did she not know who she was talking to?
• “Excuse you? You bumped into me. Have the decency to apologize.”
• “No, you apologize for making me trip. If you weren’t so—”
• She stopped mid-sentence, her words catching in her throat as their eyes met.
• She froze.
• His eyes were the most piercing gray she’d ever seen. His dark brows framed them perfectly, his sharp nose and high cheekbones made him look like a damn sculpture—and that jawline. Lord help her.
• He was ten times more beautiful than anyone she’d ever seen. Which, quite frankly, pissed her off.
• No one had the right to be that gorgeous and that rude.
• “What was that?” Kai asked, clearly amused.
• Kaira’s insides swirled at the sound of his voice—low, smooth, arrogant. She tried to look away but failed miserably. Her eyes drifted down to his lips... and lingered.
• She finally tore her gaze away, just in time to see him bend down and pick something up.
• Her necklace.
• “Give that back—it doesn’t belong to you!” she snapped, reaching for it.
• “And it doesn’t belong to you either,” Kai said coolly, staring at the necklace like it was a ghost from his past. “Where did you get this?”
• “None of your fucking business. Give it back.”
• “Thief,” he muttered, loud enough for her to hear.
• Kaira scoffed. “Excuse me? I didn’t steal it. It was given to me.”
• “I refuse to believe someone of your class could ever own something like this, even if it’s a replica of a replica.”
• She flinched. That one hit a nerve. Sure, she was struggling financially—but that didn’t give some random stranger the right to insult her.
• Even if that stranger looked like a fallen angel dipped in sin.
• “I don’t care who you are, and I couldn’t care less. You are not going to speak to me like that. Now give me my necklace—I have to get to work.”
• She held her hand out.
• Kai smirked, slipped the necklace into his coat pocket, then fished out his phone.
• “I need you out here,” he said into the receiver. He hung up and folded his arms, eyes still locked on her.
• Kaira watched him, bewildered. What the hell was he up to?
• Seconds later, a pair of large hands grabbed her from behind, yanking her arms back.
• “What the hell?! Let go of me!” she shouted, struggling against the hold.
• “Help! Somebody help me!” she screamed as she was dragged toward a black car.
• People stared. Whispered. But no one moved.
• “I’m being kidnapped!” she cried, her voice cracking.
• Even her coworkers didn’t come outside.
• The muscular man shoved her into the car and locked the door. Seconds later, Kai slipped into the front seat, ignoring her as she screamed and cursed at him.
• “What do we do with her, boss?” the man asked, buckling in.
• “Drive to the precinct. I’m filing a theft report,” Kai said, his voice icy.
• Then he turned to face her, his expression unreadable.
• “She’s a thief.”
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