The Billionaire's Lost Flame

Chapter 2: The Desperate Search

“The CEO will be supervising a demolition tomorrow at Florence Planetarium. Be there by 9 a.m.”

Katherine read the message for the third time, her fingers tightening around her phone.

She was not supposed to be here.

The iron gates of Florence Planetarium loomed ahead, stone and metal casting long shadows across the ground. Katherine slowed, her steps faltering as memories she had buried clawed their way back to the surface.

“This isn’t about him,” she whispered.

“This is about the museum.”

She tightened her grip on her bag and forced herself forward, stepping into the security line.

One by one, hopeful visitors and members of the press were turned away by meticulous guards. Katherine swallowed hard as she moved forward.

The man she was here to see clearly didn’t want to be found, physically or online. She’d spent the entire night searching for information about him and had found no trace of his identity.

“Next.”

The sharp command made her flinch.

A guard stepped forward, his eyes cold as they scanned her from head to toe.

“ID.”

Katherine handed it over, willing her hands to stay steady.

“I’m with the welfare team,” she said calmly.

The guard studied the card, then her face.

“You look familiar.”

Her heart stopped.

“I get that a lot,” she said lightly. “Guess I have one of those faces.”

His eyes narrowed. “Wait, aren’t you—”

“No.” She answered too fast, and his brows arched slightly.

She forced a laugh. “Wrong person.”

A long pause stretched between them, sweat prickling at her spine.

Finally, he scoffed and handed the card back.

“Go.”

She didn’t hesitate, and the moment she crossed the gate, her chest loosened—but only slightly.

That had been the easy part. Her real goal began now.

Florence Planetarium stood tall but beautifully broken, with cracked walls, faded plaques, and vines creeping like veins across its once-polished stone. Time and neglect had worn it down, but its quiet dignity remained.

On the far end of the site stood a massive crane, its wrecking ball suspended midair like an executioner awaiting a signal.

The sight twisted Katherine’s stomach.

More than this building would be destroyed today.

“And why are you standing there like an idiot? Get to the tent!”

Katherine turned to see a short woman glaring at her. The badge on her chest read: Welfare Head.

“S-sorry,” Katherine said quickly. “I got lost.”

“We don’t pay people to sightsee,” the woman snapped. “Move.”

Inside the tent, workers moved quickly, stacking food and drinks. Katherine joined them, keeping her head down and her ears open.

“Such a shame,” one man muttered. “My school came here on a field trip years ago.”

“That won’t matter soon,” another replied. “Once Mr. D sets his sights on a place, it’s finished.”

Katherine’s fingers stilled.

“Mr. D?” she asked carefully. “Why not his full name?”

The workers chuckled.

“As if we’d know,” a woman said. “That’s just what staff call him. Most of us have never even seen his face.”

“Is he coming today?” Katherine asked, her heart pounding.

The woman shrugged. “Rumor says yes. That’s why the owners are refusing to leave.”

Katherine followed her gaze.

Near the entrance, an elderly couple sat on the ground, hands clasped tightly, surrounded by security. Their faces were hollow with grief, resignation carved deep into their features.

Something inside Katherine snapped.

“When does the CEO arrive?” she asked, sharper than intended.

The woman narrowed her eyes.

“Why do you care, Ava?”

Katherine caught herself and forced a shrug.

“I just think… if he’s going to destroy their life’s work, he should at least face them.”

The woman scoffed.

“He doesn’t do confrontations.”

The roar of machinery cut through the air as the crane lurched to life.

Katherine’s breath shortened.

“No. Not yet.”

“And will you take all day to serve the trays?” the Welfare Head barked, reappearing. “Move! The demolition is about to start!”

Katherine stumbled out of the tent, panic tightening around her chest as she carried the trays toward the site. The engine grew louder. The wrecking ball swung slightly, metal groaning against steel.

If she didn’t stop this now, the museum would fall.....and so would the last thing her father left behind.

Her vision blurred.

The noise, the shouting, the grinding machinery all crashed together. Pain exploded behind her eyes, her knees buckling beneath her.

She fell forward—

—and was caught by a pair of strong arms before she hit the ground.

The scent hit her first, Cedarwood.

Warm. Familiar.

Her fingers curled instinctively into his sleeve.

Her eyes fluttered open, meeting a pair of dark eyes staring down at her.

Recognition struck like lightning.

Him.

As darkness claimed her, one thought echoed painfully through her mind.

Fate is cruel.

And this time, it wasn’t done with her yet.