Burning Hearts ✔️

Prologue: Beginnings

Welcome to New York
It's been waiting for you
Welcome to New York

~ Taylor Swift

Manhattan, New York

New York City bustled beneath a thick canopy of late autumn fog, the kind that clung to the streets and made even the sharpest lights of Times Square feel muted. Yet despite the veil of mist, the city thrummed with energy. Somewhere among the noise and chaos, two lives were unknowingly set on a collision course.

Grayson Callahan, the ever-controlled and meticulously guarded financial analyst, was running through his mental checklist of career goals-distraction, survival, dominance.

Across the city, Harper Quinn stood at her tiny studio apartment's window, sipping coffee as she gazed at the skyline. She knew she was late. She was always late. But this morning, something about the thought of attending the career guidance program-the one her best friend had practically forced her to sign up for-was making her hesitate. Still, she couldn't resist the pull of adventure. Somewhere deep inside, Harper hoped this week would lead to more than just professional growth. Maybe, just maybe, she'd find something more.

•••

Grayson hadn't always been closed off. There was a time when he was eager, even excited, about life and love. Back when his career was still fresh, and the city felt like it held endless possibilities. But the glitter of those early days had long since faded, replaced by the cold hard truth that people were often disappointments wrapped in charm. His ex, Angela, had taught him that lesson in the most brutal way.

Angela had been everything Grayson thought he wanted-stunning, ambitious, and just manipulative enough to keep him hooked. She played her part well, making him believe in a future built on mutual dreams. But when her own career took off, she left Grayson behind, revealing that she had been using him to climb the social ladder. It wasn't the betrayal itself that hardened Grayson; it was the realization that he had been so easily fooled, that someone could love him only for what he could offer, rather than for who he was.

So, he built walls. His dedication to his work became all-consuming, an obsession that made him one of the youngest rising stars at his firm. But while his career soared, his personal life sank into a state of suspended animation. Sure, he dated. Occasionally. But it was never more than casual, and he made sure to keep it that way. No more illusions. No more vulnerability.

That's why TalentQuest NYC had appealed to him. Not for personal growth, not for some ridiculous soul-searching quest, but to sharpen his professional edge. The program promised a series of intellectual and creative challenges designed to uncover hidden talents, and that was the hook for Grayson. He didn't expect to learn anything about himself, but he did expect to gain an advantage over his peers, another edge in the relentless grind that was his career. After all, dominance in his field was the only thing that gave him satisfaction now. Or at least that's what he told himself.

As he buttoned his crisp white shirt and slid his arms into a dark, tailored suit jacket, Grayson's thoughts flickered briefly to the others attending the program. He expected the usual suspects-ambitious young professionals trying to make their mark, probably overly enthusiastic about the "creative" elements. He rolled his eyes at the thought of having to interact with them, his patience already thin. He grabbed his phone and double-checked the time.

There was only one thing Grayson couldn't tolerate-lateness. It showed a lack of respect, and a failure to manage time, and in his world, time was money. He hated people who wasted either.

•••

Harper wasn't late by choice; she just didn't see the point in rushing. What would be, would be.