Leo sat inside the car, his fingers tapping lightly against the armrest as the city lights passed by outside. Bangalore was loud, alive, and restless, yet his thoughts felt strangely distant.
He kept seeing the same images in his mind.
A small hand grabbing his coat.
A bright smile.
And those eyes.
That little boy.
Something about him refused to leave Leo's mind. It was strange. He had met countless people, seen hundreds of faces, yet none of them stayed like this.
But that boy did.
Even now.
Even when he tried to focus on work.
Even when he tried to ignore it.
"Sir?" Mark's voice broke the silence. "We are heading back to the hotel."
Leo nodded slightly but didn't respond. His eyes remained fixed outside the window.
After a moment, he spoke quietly.
"Mark."
"Yes, sir."
"Did you collect the details?"
Mark hesitated for a second before answering.
"Yes, sir. About the woman."
Leo didn't respond immediately.
That woman. Even thinking about her made something inside him feel… unsettled.
"Tell me," Leo said finally.
Mark handed him the file.
Leo opened it slowly.
Mia Acharya.
Youngest daughter of the Acharya family.
Doctor.
Works at Acharya Hospital.
Unmarried.
Leo paused.
"Unmarried"
For some reason, he didn't understand why that mattered to him.
He flipped the page again.
There was nothing unusual. Everything looked normal. Too normal.
Yet she didn't react normally when she saw him.
She looked shocked.
Afraid.
Like she had seen a ghost.
Leo closed the file slowly.
"Have we met before?" he asked suddenly.
Mark froze.
For a brief moment, silence filled the car.
"No, sir," Mark replied calmly.
Leo leaned back into the seat.
Maybe.
Maybe not.
But why did it feel like something was missing?
That night, Leo couldn't sleep.
He turned from one side to another, staring at the ceiling of the hotel room.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw flashes.
Snow.
Cold air.
A soft voice.
And pain.
His head suddenly started aching again.
Leo sat up immediately, pressing his fingers against his temple.
"Not again…"
The pain faded slowly, but the feeling remained.
Like something inside him was trying to break through.
Something locked away.
Something important.
Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Mia sat beside Mayank's bed.
Mayank sleeping peacefully, hugging his small toy tightly.
She gently brushed his hair back.
Her heart still hadn't calmed down since yesterday.
Seeing Leo again was the last thing she ever expected.
The last thing she ever wanted.
"Why now…" she whispered softly.
For four years, she had kept her distance.
For four years, she had protected her son.
For four years, she believed their worlds would never collide again.
But fate had other plans.
And now…
They met again.
Not once.
But twice.
She looked at Mayank again.
"You should never know…" she whispered softly.
"Never."
Her fingers tightened slightly on the blanket.
Because if Leo remembered…
Everything would change.
The next morning, Leo stood near the window, looking down at the busy streets.
He should have left already.
His flight was ready.
His work in Bangalore was finished.
There was no reason to stay.
And yet…
He didn't leave.
For the first time in years, Leo Alexander Kane delayed his own schedule.
Not for business.
Not for power.
Not for enemies.
But for a feeling he couldn't explain.
And a connection he couldn't understand.