"Fuck, fuck, bugger it all — damn, bloody, crap-shit, bloody hell!" Theo erupted into a colorful tirade so intense it nearly made me laugh out loud.

"You totally messed up," I said, slowly bringing the phone back to my ear after his expletive frenzy.

"Yeah, man..." Theo sighed, the sound heavy with defeat. I pursed my lips, a pang of sympathy creeping in.

"What happened this time?" I asked, exhaling through my nose, my gaze drifting out the window to the thickening clouds and rising wind.

"She was painting — it was stunning," Theo paused, savoring the memory.

"And?" I prompted.

"I just leaned in for a closer look, and next thing I know, I’m spinning around with blue paint splattered on the canvas, red stains all over my shirt, and purple dripping down her hair. Dude, you should’ve seen her face — like I’d declared war on her. But honestly, the bucket perched on her head was hilarious. Couldn’t hear a damn thing, though. Total chaos," he groaned, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.

"Laugh it up, man. One day, you’ll meet a girl who’ll make you lose your mind," Theo said with mock gravity.

"Yeah, right," I replied, still amused. "It’s always me driving them crazy, not the other way around. You know that."

"We’ll see," he countered confidently. "Consider this my curse on you."

"Whatever, Theo," I rolled my eyes. "Girls fall over themselves for me."

"Sir, we’ve arrived," Jake, the driver, announced, pulling the car to a stop. I nodded.

"Grab the file," I instructed, leaning back into the leather seat as Jake climbed out.

"It’s a curse, man," Theo continued, voice trailing as I got distracted by something outside.

My eyes locked on a striking figure down the street — a woman dressed in a pristine white wedding gown, barefoot, her heels dangling from one hand. Her blonde hair flowed freely in the gusty wind, framing a face that somehow looked both carefree and fierce. Clutched in her other hand was a chocolate bar — a KitKat — which she nibbled on absentmindedly, paying no mind to the startled looks of passersby.

She moved with an infectious energy, a radiant grin spread across her face as she welcomed the gusts of wind with open arms. For a moment, she seemed like a goddess walking among us mortals, utterly untouchable.

A strange warmth bloomed in my chest, a prickling sensation that made me instinctively reach for the window control. I lowered it, wanting a clearer view. Everyone around was watching her, captivated or confused, but she seemed blissfully indifferent — zero fucks given.

Especially with that KitKat casually held between her teeth.

I pressed a hand to my chest, the skin strangely hot beneath my palm. Why did it feel like an arrow had just pierced my heart? Was Cupid actually aiming at me? Where was the usual cocky, bad-boy version of myself to mock these absurd feelings?

Stop. Stop with the questions. Stop with the overthinking.

Still, my eyes kept drifting back to her, every movement stirring a thousand silent questions. Who was she? Why was she wandering the street in a wedding dress like this? Where was the groom? And, most importantly, what was with the KitKat?

"Auden? Damn it, dude!" Theo’s frantic voice yanked me back to reality. He was yelling into the phone, but his words dissolved into white noise.

I cut the call and slipped my phone into my pocket. I had to meet this woman.

She suddenly stopped and looked both ways down the street, waving a hand to hail a cab that sped past, missing her by inches. She puffed out her cheeks, hands on hips — a childish gesture that made me smile.

Without thinking twice, my fingers gripped the steering wheel, the urge to drive towards her overwhelming. I slid into the driver’s seat, caught a glimpse of myself in the small rearview mirror, attempting a smoldering look that probably landed somewhere between charming and cocky.

With a sly smirk, I started the engine and rolled forward, the city blurring as I closed the gap between us.

She noticed immediately, her dark, cat-like eyes locking with mine. Time stilled. The intensity in her gaze was magnetic — like she held a thousand secrets behind those eyes, daring me to unravel them.

A flicker of a distant memory teased my mind, but it slipped away before I could grasp it.

She really was stunning. A perfect blend of mystery and allure, making my usual confidence wobble.

Her stare pinned me down, and I forced myself to stay cool, willing the thump of my heart to slow. A mischievous grin tugged at my lips.

"How about this," I offered smoothly, "come over to my place, we’ll eat pizza, watch some cheesy Disney movie, and maybe—just maybe—fall hopelessly in love. Just throwing it out there."

She raised one perfectly sculpted eyebrow, clearly unimpressed.

Then, a playful smile flickered across her lips, and my chest swelled with pride. She leaned down, closing the distance between us, her breath warm against my skin.

My heart raced.

Then, in a blink, the smile vanished. Her voice was cool and firm: "No thanks." She straightened up and glanced around for another cab, dismissing me like a minor inconvenience.

I blinked, stunned. Rejected. That little sting flared stronger than I expected.

Not many women shrugged me off this easily. Who was this woman? And what the hell was she doing to me?

I watched as she stepped away, barefoot and unbothered, KitKat still in hand, leaving me with a baffling mix of curiosity and something dangerously close to longing.

"Damn it," I muttered under my breath, starting the engine again. This wasn’t over. Far from it.