A Blueprint for Love

C2 Hope

The morning sun flooded the busy city streets, illuminating the skyscrapers that cast elongated shadows on the bustling crowd below. Heidi glanced at her watch, its gleaming face telling her time was slipping away faster than she'd hoped. She stood in front of the sleek glass building where much of the city's architectural renaissance was born, her heart racing with excitement and nerves. Inside a sleek, modern office building, the lobby was a bustle of morning chaos. Coffee cups clinked, heels clicked—a symphony of ambition and hope.

She felt a rush of emotions—nostalgia, regret, yearning. The tension was palpable, but Heidi forced herself to breathe through it. She was an accomplished interior designer, known for her bold use of colors and love of natural materials, and had been prepared for this meeting for weeks. The redevelopment project they were collaborating on—an ambitious attempt to transform a vintage theater into a modern creative hub—was her ticket to solidifying her place in the industry. She would not let her past with Luther overshadow her goals. 

As a rising star in the interior design world, today was crucial; she'd be presenting her design concepts for the historic redevelopment project collaboration with none other than Luther Kim, the prodigious architect who seemed to mold steel and glass with an effortless grace that had garnered him accolades across the industry.

Adjusting her blazer, she inhaled deeply, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee mixed with the faint floral notes of her perfume grounding her. Heidi pressed the elevator button repeatedly, impatience bubbling beneath her calm exterior. She hadn't seen Luther in years. Their breakup had been a messy intersection of ambition and disappointment, one that still lingered in the corners of her mind.

Finally, the elevator doors slid open. Heidi entered, trying to ignore the pang of nostalgia that hit her when she spotted him inside, flanked by two colleagues, discussing blueprints. Luther stood tall and commanding with sharp features that could carve clouds, his sharp jawline illuminated by the morning light filtering through the glass walls. To anyone else, he might appear unapproachable, his steely gaze fixed forward, cool as ice. But Heidi knew better; she remembered the warmth wrapped in his laughter and the tender moments they had shared when life wasn't tugging at their ambitions.

As if sensing her presence, he turned slightly, Luther's eyes flickered to hers, and for a heartbeat, the world outside the elevator ceased to exist. Time stood still as their gazes locked, the air seemed electric and thickening with unspoken history. The chaos of the morning swirled around them, but a bubble formed in that confined space, just for them. He stepped aside to let his colleagues exit, and she secretly wished they'd stay a moment more. 

But just like that, the moment was gone, and the elevator dinged open to reveal their shared destiny— the meeting room.

Arriving at the meeting room, the atmosphere buzzed with energy, chairs shifted, folders rustled, people greeted each other. Early-morning sunlight poured through the tall glass windows, casting a warm glow over the long conference table around which the project team had gathered. The ambiance shifted as they took their seats, the polished conference table separating them now. Heidi's heart danced in her chest as she prepared her notes and presentation materials, determined to leave no room for vulnerability. Meanwhile, Luther was sitting opposite her, his expression inscrutable, an unyielding mask that shrouded his thoughts.

Sergio Kang , the project manager, initiated the meeting, outlining the redevelopment's significance. Heidi's heart steadied as she took a deep breath and launched into her presentation, bringing forth vibrant visuals of her designs that fused the old with the new. Though, she felt the weight of Luther's gaze—a combination of admiration and intensity, warring with memories of autumn evenings spent sketching ideas together, his laughter echoing through her mind like a haunting melody. Each glance shared during the presentation felt like a conversation unspoken, his sharp features softening momentarily when their eyes met.