It was just another Thursday night, but the air felt different somehow. The city lights flickered below like little stars, their shine doing nothing to cut through the clouds that hung over the skyscrapers.

Caleb Steele sat at the bar, watching people around him laugh and chat. His fingers drummed the rim of his glass, the sound too loud in his ears, even though the bar was busy. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy the crowd-he had learned years ago to hide behind a mask of being "cool" and "untouchable"-but tonight, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing.

Maybe it was just his mood. Maybe it was the weight of running his empire on his own. Whatever it was, it gnawed at him, and he hated it, then, she walked in.Sophia Hayes. Evan's little sister.She wasn't little anymore, though.

She wasn't a kid with pigtails or a shy smile that only seemed to appear when she'd lost a game of Monopoly. No, she had turned into someone who could light up the whole room without even trying.Her dress was simple-a deep green that almost matched the color of her eyes. But the way it fit her? It wasn't about the brand or the money. It was just her. Graceful, like she owned the place, even though she had only just stepped inside.

Caleb's heart did something odd-like it skipped, but not in the usual way. He couldn't stop himself from watching her as she greeted people with that easy, genuine smile. She wasn't trying to impress anyone. She was just... herself.

He'd seen her before. Of course, he had. She was always hanging around Evan's, laughing with the guys, giving him that innocent, sisterly smile. But tonight? Tonight was different. There was something in the way she carried herself, the way she didn't flinch when the men around her looked twice.And then it happened.

She caught his gaze. And just like that, everything else in the room disappeared.For a second, there was nothing but the space between them. Her eyes held him-almost like she was daring him to look away.

He quickly turned his head, pretending to check his phone, but his heart was still pounding in his chest. It made no sense. She was Evan's sister. He knew her as a kid-she was always around. Nothing had changed, right? But something had changed. She walked over.

"Nice to see you, Caleb," she said, her voice easy, like they'd just run into each other last week instead of a few months ago.

He stood up, forcing a smile, trying not to let her see that his brain had frozen. "Sophia, right? Looking... well, like you just walked out of a magazine."

She laughed, shaking her head. "You're full of it, Steele. I'm just here for the free drinks."

She grinned, but there was something behind her smile-something that Caleb didn't quite know how to place. He suddenly wished he hadn't worn the suit, the one that made him look like a robot-always too perfect, always too put-together. Sophia wasn't like that. She didn't care about how people saw her.

Her laughter rang out, cutting through the noise of the bar. Caleb stood there, stuck in place, realizing that he didn't even know why he was still staring at her. His mind went blank.

"So, are you here for work or just blowing off steam?" he finally asked, his voice rougher than he intended.

"Both," she replied, shrugging like it wasn't a big deal. "Just finished up some work stuff. Figured I'd unwind with a drink." She paused, then added, "Don't worry, I'm not going to ask you to buy me one."

He laughed, though it came out awkward. "Good, because I'd charge you for it."

She raised an eyebrow, but there was no judgment in her gaze. Just a playful glint.

"I'm not a gold digger, Caleb. I can pay my own way," she teased, her lips curling into a grin.

But he didn't miss the way she looked at him after she said that. It wasn't mocking. It was a challenge.

For the first time, Caleb realized that there was a lot more to Sophia than he ever gave her credit for. She wasn't just Evan's little sister anymore. She was someone who could stand on her own-and hold her ground, no matter who was in the room. And it was... damn impressive.

As the evening wore on, Caleb found himself unable to stay focused. He'd told himself he'd just say hello to Sophia, then get back to his business. But every time he tried to walk away, his feet wouldn't move.

She was still sitting at the bar, talking with a few people. Her laugh rang through the room again, clear and bright, making Caleb's chest tighten in a way he couldn't explain. He tried to ignore it. But the pull was too strong.

He walked over, each step feeling heavier than the last. When he reached her, she turned, and those green eyes met his-no judgment, just a flicker of recognition. The kind of look that made him feel like she'd been waiting for him all along, even if she wasn't quite sure why.

"Hey," he said, his voice a little rougher than he intended.

Sophia raised an eyebrow, amused. "Well, well. Look who decided to show up."

He smiled, trying to hide the fact that his heart was racing. "Wouldn't want to miss out on the free drinks," he said, his voice coming out more casual than he felt.

She laughed again, that easy, carefree laugh that made everything else seem unimportant. And for a second, Caleb forgot why he was standing there.

She gestured to the empty seat beside her. "Pull up a chair. No one bites around here-except for Evan when he's had too much whiskey."

Caleb sat down, feeling the weight of her words more than he should have. It wasn't just the way she spoke-it was the way she made him feel. Like he was allowed to be more than just the billionaire with the perfect life.

They spent the next hour chatting, but not about anything that mattered. They talked about Evan's latest project, her latest design project, how she loved exploring the city, and how Caleb's "business empire" was as stuffy as people said it was.

It felt easy, comfortable, like they had been doing this for years. It was the first time in a long time that Caleb had felt this relaxed around someone.

But then, just as he was starting to believe this was just another friendly conversation, she looked at him like she was seeing him for the first time.

"You know, I don't get you, Caleb," she said, her voice soft but sharp. "You have all this money, all these people kissing your feet, and yet... you don't let anyone in."

His heart thudded in his chest. The words hit harder than they should have.

"I let people in," he muttered, but it felt like a lie.

Sophia's eyes searched his, like she wasn't going to let him hide. She didn't look away, didn't back down. There was no sympathy, no pity. Just an honesty that made him feel more exposed than he ever had.

"You don't," she said simply. "And it's exhausting to watch."

Caleb froze, the words sinking into him deeper than any business deal or power play ever had. He didn't have a response, so he didn't say anything. She didn't need him to. She just stared at him for a moment longer before she shrugged.

"Well, maybe you'll figure it out one day."

And just like that, she turned back to the crowd, as if nothing had happened.