A/N: I hope this story doesn't resemble to any other  I've always wanted to write something of this kind, I hope you all will like it.

She browsed the pages of the newspaper, looking for the ad that never came. Finding a job was being one of the hardest challenges in her life. Recently graduated, Shannon got the bad news about the death of her grandfather, but also the revelation of an amazing secret that everybody in her family ignored: her grandfather had a hidden fortune and he left everything to her. Coming from a small European town, full of gossipers and money hunters, she decided to waste everything before someone else did it. She bought a flat in New York, a one-way airplane ticket and filled her wardrobe with all possible clothes. Her decision caused a thousand reactions in her family, but she decided to ignore them. She needed to live, to experience emotions. All her life she had been under controlling parents, with few friends and suffering the envies of her female aquitances. Now it was time to live. In her middle twenties, she had never had a job before, she had never left her continent and even more, she had never had to face a whole new life alone. But she had made a big mistake. She had wasted all her money. Finding a job was a real emergency. Sighing, her dark brown eyes searched each and every line of the page, without result.

She took a sip of the coffee she had just ordered few moments ago. Shannon looked around. The coffee shop was crowded, filled with the voices of dozens of business men and women, dressed in their elegant suits. She could be one more of them. Well dressed and confident. But she was the only one who knew the real truth. If she didn't find a solution soon, she would be starving. In a luxurious flat, but starving.

The city was all new to her, but she loved it. That coffee shop in Manhattan became her daily refuge. The waiter smiled and brought her another cup of coffee.

"This is on me" He said, and she smiled shyly. He left before she could reply, and her attention turned to the two girls sitting on the table next to her. One of them was blonde, with a Prada bag and an elegant suit. Her face was perfect, with a light make-up and big blue eyes. Her voice was loud and snobbish, and her friend wasn't too different from her either. Shannon observed them over the newspaper, wondering how their lives were. She needed friends desperately, but her instincts told her that she should stay away from women like those ones.

She looked through the window. The rain was falling heavier, the traffic had increased and Manhattan was summed in a total chaos. It was dark already, late in the evening. Her eyes lingered for a moment, and then she heard the door of the coffee shop open. Her head turned around and she saw a young man entering. He was dressed in black, completely. His face was pale, but extremely attractive. Many heads turned around to check him. His movements were slow, elegant, and confident. He was very tall and strong. His hair was dark, and very short. He searched around, finding an empty table next to Sharon. The two girls sitting next to her giggled.

"I swear that if he comes here, I won't let him leave" The blonde one said, observing him with a flirtatious look. Shannon looked at him, as he sat down, facing them. The blonde smiled and he smiled back. Shannon sighed. How typical. She had seen this many times, and she knew how would it end. The gorgeous guy, meeting the gorgeous blonde girl. She tried to return her attention to the newspaper, reminding herself that she had big problems to solve. The man ordered a coffee, and leaned back on his seat. More women around him were admiring his features. Shannon observed him once more. His expression was unreadable, his eyes cold as ice. Suddenly, his head moved and she found herself staring at him. Embarrassed, she looked down at the newspaper, trying to ignore the blush on her face and hating herself for letting that occur. He had caught her checking him! She let her long light brown hair fell over her face as she lifted the newspaper. Her heart was racing, with no reason. What was wrong with her, she asked herself.

"He will be mine" The blonde said, and she turned around on her chair to look at him. Shannon tried not to look at the scene, but she just couldn't help it. The man observed the blonde girl, who was smiling, and he returned the smile. Slowly, he stood up and walked towards there. The girl smiled arrogantly and crossed her legs. Shannon felt a kind of pain on her chest. She didn't want to witness the whole flirting process. Folding the newspaper, she got ready to leave, but the nicest voice she had ever heard before made her stop.

"Can I sit with you?" She looked up, to meet a pair of green-brown eyes. The young man was standing next to her. Shocked, she opened her mouth to reply, but before she could do it, the man sat down on the chair in front of her. The blonde girl gaped at Shannon, too surprised to react. Then, she felt his eyes on her. Those eyes were different from anything she had seen before. They had a special glow, something unnatural. One couldn't stop looking at them. His smile was arrogant, mysterious. His whole person was so attracting that she felt her forces leave her. She needed all her strength to make the question.

"Do I know you?" She asked, and he went on observing her. He lifted an eyebrow and leaned forward, resting his elbows over the table.

"You're the only person in the coffee shop who is alone" His voice was soft, deep; it came through her head and made her dizzy. She looked around, then shrugged, trying to look indifferent.

"And this is why you came here?" She saw that smile again, and looked away.

"It's Friday night, we're in Manhattan, and a young pretty girl sits alone and drinks coffee?" She blushed deeply. Pretty? She knew she was pretty, but nothing out of normal. She didn't call people's attention for any special reason, except for her big dark eyes. But this wasn't such a big deal. The smile on his face disappeared. "It's not safe to walk alone at nights on a city like this" She felt a shiver with those words.

"This is all you have to tell me?" Her sixth sense told her to run away. But her instincts didn't let her move from there. She felt like the bird enchanted by the snake. He leaned back and picked up a card from his pocket.

"I know you're looking for a job" He said, and she froze, gaping at him.

"How do you know?" Thousands of thoughts crossed her head, images of stalkers, rapists… his eyes looked away for a second, as if distracted with something.

"Don't let your heart beat so fast. It's not healthy for a human. I could hear it even if I was three miles away from here" She observed him with curiosity and fear.

"Listen, I don't know who are you, but I won't doubt about calling the police of you don't leave me alone" She tried to sound harsh, but her voice was shaking. He smiled, but his eyes didn't.

"Is this the right way to treat the man who will offer you a job?" With those words, she felt a new emotion. Hope. He put the card over the table. "My name is John Preston. I own a big business. I need someone to take care of all my personal needs during the day. Only during the day. You won't be a maid, you will be doing a bit of everything, like my personal assistant. " Shannon gaped at him, then picked up the card. John Preston, manager of Preston incorporate. He spoke slowly again. "You've been browsing job ads in the past days, this is why I know you're looking for a job" She closed her eyes for a second, angry with herself. It was obvious that anybody could have guessed it.

"I'm sorry, this is so strange…" She spoke, and his smile was soft again.

"Call me, Shannon" she looked at him. He looked back, his eyes glowing.

"How do you know my name?" She whispered, scared. Then, he stared at her, making her feel dizzy.

"You can learn a lot about a person if you try to read his mind" Silence followed this statement, and he smiled. "Plus, you have a notebook opened inside your purse with your name and address" She looked down, to the next chair. Her purse was open and her little journal opened. Ashamed, she closed it. He was a good observed indeed, and she felt weak with him.

"Why me?" She asked, and he shrugged, with a serious expression on his face.

"You need me, and I need you" The weight of those words was bigger than anything that Shannon had ever heard before. Like listening to a prophecy, to a revelation. She knew she had to say no. She knew she should run away. He leaned forward, his face closer than ever. "Will you call me, Shannon?" She held her breath, and looked away, feeling uncomfortable.

"Yes" She heard herself saying. Then, the magic disappeared as he broke the eye contact and stood up.

"Tomorrow, at 22 pm, go to the address on the card" He looked at her once more, then left the coffee shop. Shannon was too shocked to move. What had just happened? The blonde girl looked at her in anger.

"She's not even pretty" She said, picking up her purse and coat and leaving as well. Shannon looked down at the card. She took it with trembling fingers and noticed there was something written on the back.

"When you'll come to visit me, don't talk to anybody else in the building. This is the only request, the most important. Don't talk to anybody" Scared, she picked up her things and ran home.

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