Absolutely! Here's Chapter 2 of Real Hearts, continuing from the intense and awkward first meeting between Stephanie and Raymond, deepening the contrast between their lives and slowly drawing them back toward one another. The romantic tension grows, and a subtle thread of fate begins weaving them together again.
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The sun filtered through the towering glass panels of the campus library, streaking across Stephanie's notebook as she scribbled chemical equations into the margins. Though her eyes followed the ink, her mind drifted—again—to that man. That rude, arrogant stranger in the Bentley.
She hadn't expected to think about him again. But the image of his dismissive glare and perfectly sculpted features had etched themselves into her mind like a scene from a drama.
> "Then pay her off and let's go."
"It's rain, not acid."
She still remembered how her fingers had curled tighter around her books that day.
"Steph," Katherine whispered, snapping her out of her thoughts. "You've written the same word five times."
Stephanie blinked. "Oh." She glanced down and saw the word methylation scribbled again and again.
Katherine, her best friend and roommate, leaned her elbows on the table. She was the complete opposite of Stephanie—blonde curls, bright blue eyes, and a personality that could light up any room. Where Stephanie was calm and reserved, Katherine was bold and unfiltered.
"Okay," Katherine said dramatically. "Out with it. You're thinking about someone. It's written all over your face."
Stephanie shook her head, biting back a laugh. "No, I'm not."
"Lie. Is it that guy from the other day? The rude Bentley prince?"
"It wasn't like that," Stephanie said softly. "He didn't even look at me properly."
"Exactly. That kind of disrespect needs vengeance. Or at least a karmic breakup."
Stephanie chuckled under her breath. But the conversation made her chest feel tight in a strange way. It wasn't just about the puddle. It was the way he'd looked past her, as if she were invisible. Yet… he hadn't left her thoughts since.
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✦ Meanwhile — At Carter Enterprises
Raymond stepped into his private office on the 21st floor of the Carter Enterprises skyscraper, greeted by the floor-to-ceiling view of London's skyline. His assistant was already waiting, listing out appointments for the day. But his mind was elsewhere.
Her eyes.
He had barely seen her for ten seconds, but the way she had stared back—unfazed by his money, unshaken by his arrogance—had stuck with him like a thorn under skin.
She hadn't taken the money.
That part gnawed at him.
> She didn't want anything from me.
Strange...
A sharp knock at the door broke his train of thought.
"Sir, the investors from Zurich are here."
Raymond stood, smoothing down the sleeves of his suit.
"All right. Let's get this over with."
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✦ That Evening —
Stephanie stood near the university gates, waiting for Katherine, who had dashed back into the studio to retrieve her sketchbook. She glanced up at the sky, admiring how the golden light of dusk bathed the buildings in amber hues.
A black Bentley turned the corner and slowed.
Her heart froze.
> No way...
The same car. Same sleek tires. Same reflective paint.
The back window rolled down—and there he was.
Raymond.
Dressed more casually this time, in a dark wool coat and a navy turtleneck, he was speaking into a phone. But as his eyes lifted and met hers, his words trailed off.
Stephanie's brows furrowed.
Raymond stared for a moment longer than necessary. Something flickered in his eyes—recognition? Curiosity?
And then… the window rolled back up.
The car moved on.
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✦ Later That Night
Back at home, Stephanie sat at the small kitchen table with her laptop open, but she couldn't focus.
Not when the same cold-eyed man had now entered her orbit twice in one week. Was it just coincidence?
Or was the universe starting to write a story neither of them had prepared for?
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Stephanie doesn't know his name. He doesn't know hers.
But the rain that brought them together… is coming again.
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