Chapter 2 : The News I Wasn't Ready For
Alina’s POV
I didn’t expect the stranger from the elevator to stay on my mind.
But he did.
The bus ride home felt longer than usual, mostly because my thoughts kept drifting back to that strange encounter.
The dim emergency lights.
The sudden stop of the elevator.
The moment I nearly fell and his arm caught me before I could hit the floor.
I could still remember how solid his chest felt when I stumbled into him.
And the way his voice sounded when he spoke.
Calm.
Confident.
Almost amused.
I sighed softly and leaned my head against the cool bus window.
“Why am I even thinking about this?” I muttered under my breath.
It had been a random moment between two strangers.
Nothing more.
The bus slowed to a stop near my apartment building, and I stepped off, pulling my coat tighter around myself as the cool night air brushed against my skin.
The rain had stopped, but the streets were still wet, reflecting the glow of the streetlights like scattered pieces of gold.
Normally I liked this part of the city at night.
Quiet.
Peaceful.
But tonight my mind was too busy to appreciate it.
I had lost my job.
That thought finally settled heavily in my chest as I climbed the stairs to our apartment.
Two years.
Two years of effort, long hours, and patience.
And it had ended in a five-minute conversation.
I unlocked the door and stepped inside.
“Mom? I’m home.”
The smell of freshly brewed tea drifted from the kitchen.
A moment later, my mother appeared in the doorway.
And the look on her face immediately caught my attention.
She looked… excited.
Almost glowing.
“There you are!” she said brightly.
Before I could react, she walked over and hugged me tightly.
I blinked in surprise.
“Okay,” I said slowly, laughing a little. “Did I miss something?”
She pulled back, her eyes shining with happiness.
“I have wonderful news.”
That explained the hug.
But it also made me curious.
“What kind of news?” I asked.
She grabbed my hands like she couldn’t contain her excitement anymore.
“Alina… I’m getting married.”
For a moment, the words didn’t make sense.
“Married?” I repeated.
“Yes!”
I stared at her, trying to process the sudden announcement.
My mother hadn’t seriously dated anyone in years.
After my father passed away, she had focused almost entirely on work and raising me.
The idea of her suddenly getting married felt completely unexpected.
But the happiness in her eyes softened something inside me.
“That’s… amazing,” I said slowly.
“And surprising,” she admitted with a small laugh.
“When did this happen?”
“Recently.”
“How recently?”
She hesitated for half a second.
“Last week.”
My eyebrows shot up.
“Last week?”
“I know, it sounds fast,” she said quickly. “But when you meet him, you’ll understand.”
I tilted my head slightly.
“I haven’t met him yet?”
“Not yet,” she said.
She guided me to the couch, practically glowing with excitement.
“But you will tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Yes! He insisted on taking us both to dinner.”
My stomach tightened slightly.
Something about the speed of everything made me uneasy.
“You seem serious about this,” I said carefully.
“I am,” she replied without hesitation.
“He’s… wonderful, Alina. Kind, successful, thoughtful. I haven’t felt this happy in years.”
Hearing that made it hard to argue.
My mother deserved happiness.
She had sacrificed so much for me growing up.
If this man truly made her happy, then I wanted to support her.
Still…
“Does he know about me?” I asked.
“Of course,” she said immediately.
“And he wants to meet you.”
“Why?”
She laughed softly.
“Because you’re important to me.”
Fair enough.
I leaned back against the couch cushions.
“So… what’s his name?”
Her smile grew even wider.
“Dominic.”
My chest tightened slightly.
It was probably nothing.
Like I told myself earlier, Dominic wasn’t exactly a rare name.
Still, I felt a small flicker of unease.
“Dominic… what?” I asked.
She said the next two words proudly.
“Dominic Vale.”
Everything inside me went completely still.
The name echoed in my mind.
Dominic.
The man in the elevator.
The stranger who caught me when I almost fell.
The man who had looked at me with that curious half-smile when we were trapped between floors.
My heart skipped.
“Vale?” I repeated slowly.
“Yes,” my mother said happily.
“Dominic Vale. He owns Vale Industries.”
My throat suddenly felt dry.
Vale Industries was one of the largest companies in the country.
Which meant this man wasn’t just wealthy.
He was powerful.
And unless this was the most unbelievable coincidence in the world…
I had met him already.
Just last night.
In a broken elevator.
“Alina?” my mother said gently.
I realized she was watching me.
“You look pale.”
“I’m fine,” I said quickly.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
I forced a small smile, trying to steady the strange storm of thoughts in my mind.
Maybe it wasn’t the same Dominic.
Maybe there were two Dominic Vales in this city.
Unlikely.
But possible.
“What’s he like?” I asked.
Her face softened again.
“He’s confident,” she said dreamily.
“Strong. The kind of man who makes you feel safe just by standing next to you.”
The description made my stomach twist slightly.
Because it sounded exactly like the man I had met.
“I think you’ll like him,” she added.
I nodded slowly.
“Maybe.”
She squeezed my hand again.
“I’m really excited for you to meet him.”
Tomorrow.
Just one dinner.
One meeting.
And I would finally know if my suspicions were right.
I stood up and walked toward my room, trying to calm the strange nervous energy building in my chest.
But one thought kept repeating in my mind.
If my mother’s fiancé was really the same man I met in that elevator…
Then tomorrow night was going to be very, very awkward.
Because Dominic Vale had no idea who I was.
And neither of us had any idea how complicated things were about to become.