Before her stood a tall, dashing young man - dark hair, grey eyes, and a pastel blue shirt that accentuated his sculpted frame.

While he appeared cold and reserved, he kneeled down, extending a hand to help her up. Rose, more irritated by the damaged bouquet than her fall, accused him of ruining her gift.

"Look what you've done!" she exclaimed, holding the damaged bouquet.

Rose got up on her own nonchalantly, leaving Vincent's extended hand lingering in the air, unmet by the response he expected.

Vincent, maintaining his calm, replied in a plain voice, "I'm sorry. It was unintentional."

Rose, unfazed by his apology, shot back, "Unintentional or not, you've ruined my favourite flowers. Do you know how important this was to me?"

"Look, I'm sorry, but I'm in a hurry," he explained, as he quickly tore a piece of paper from his diary. His raven hair falling across his forehead glistened in the sunlight as he scribbled. "You can reach out to me on this number. I'll pay for the bouquet later."

With that, he left abruptly. Rose, holding the bouquet in one hand and the piece of paper in the other, watched him disappearing into the liveliness of college life.

When she stared down at that tiny little note. She murmured, "So it's you!" Amidst her anguish. A faint smile, almost imperceptible, danced on her lips.

Rose never reached out to Vincent. But days later, they crossed paths again. That night, some students of Fashion Designing major gathered at a restaurant near their campus for dinner. This place was the one trending among the university students because of its ambiance and unique flavours.

This was a group of kids from elite families, people with power and connections. Daughter of a prosecutor, son of a politician, celebrities kids, etc. It was more of a web of mutually close friends, and Rose was a part of it.

Apparently, some people from the architecture major were also there because they knew Ethan well, who was from the fashion designing major.

By the time Rose arrived at the restaurant, the group had already ordered. She was a little late, because of some assignments she had to take care of. When she entered through that glossy golden framed glass door, the serene atmosphere of ember lights and the interiors of the restaurant decorated with plants and vines covered her view.

Her crystal blue gaze found her friends occupying the large corner table, but there were a few unfamiliar faces too, and then there was him. The 'It was unintentional' guy. Everyone lightened up as they saw Rose. She walked up to their table and settled down beside Emma.

"Hey! Took you long enough. For a second, we thought you weren't coming tonight!" Emma said.

"Yeah, the assignment was a little tricky, which is why it took up a lot of my time, but hey! You know I wouldn't miss it when it's you guys! Although I see some fresh faces tonight!" Rose remarked, shifting her head to acknowledge the other guys until her gaze met Vincent's compelling eyes.

"I invited them!" Ethan began. "Let me introduce you to my friends. This blond guy here is Drake, and this guy to my right is Vincent. They both are from architecture major, and popularly known as university's heartthrobs!"

"I'd much rather prefer if you could just leave out that cringy heartthrobs part." Vincent opposed.

"Oh, come on, man! Then how am I supposed to brag about your popularity, huh? Anyway, so tonight I've invited them on a special request from the ladies over here!" Ethan said.

Rose seized the opportunity to get hands on a new pawn within her horizon. "Well, it's nice to meet you! I'm Rose. If you're Ethan's friends, then we'll be seeing each other often, I guess."

The night went on with delicious food, sparkling drinks and lively chats and gossips. Rose was cosying up to Drake, slowly roping him into her dark little game. Everything was going smoother until an unwelcomed figure disturbed their tender exchanges.

Vincent started dragging Drake into some menial conversations about sports. Watching Vincent disturbing their sweet time again and again made Rose utterly annoyed, and she had to do something about this, she didn't want to lose this perfect timing, not to mention the perfect target that came waltzing to her after such a long time. She messaged Vincent to meet her in the alley beside the restaurant for a moment.

Waiting in the dimly lit alley, it was a serene moonlit night, soft breeze blew as it brushed Rose's flushed cheeks coloured from the drinks earlier. Her eyes sparkled like sapphires as they met with the faint moonlight. A few of her locks rustled as she turned around to meet that familiar face.

"What are you trying to pull here, exactly?" Her voice was sharp like a dagger, a complete contrast to her angelic appearance.

"What are you talking about?" Vincent's voice was as calm as the breeze passing them by. Closing the distance between them, he extended his hand to touch Rose's cheek. "Are you tipsy? Maybe you should stop drinking now. Want me to walk you home?"

Yanking his hand away with a force, Rose began, "Hah, nice try but you know what?" Rose leaned in towards him and whispered into Vincent's ears. "It's so sad, what you couldn't do to that cute blondie in 30 days. I did in just 30 minutes..."

Hearing that, a frown laced with anxiousness painted Vincent's face, an expression which was even better than what Rose had anticipated.

Seeing his demeanour, which was stoic and unreadable the whole evening, turned into that of a marionette. Rose couldn't contain her laughter.

"Aww, that was gorgeous!" she mused, wiping a tear from her eyes. Then she started leaving the alley to head back inside, but stopped right beside Vincent and patted on his shoulder. "Don't worry, love, there are plenty of fishes in the sea. Want me to teach you how to catch them, hm?"

With that said, Rose started walking away, but soon a hand grabbed hers, holding her back. Slender fingers tugging at her hand so carefully, as if trying to hold something delicate.

As she turned around, Rose's liquid blue eyes encountered a beautiful sight. Dark hair framing his facial features, Vincent's eyes were sparkling like a snow flake frozen in the air, as it met with the faint glow of the night.

The memory lingered in the air, mingling with the fragrance of the blue roses.

***

The next morning found Rose back into her high-powered world, surrounded by the hustle and bustle of her fashion empire. Her team gathered in the spacious design studio, a flurry of sketches, fabrics, and ideas spread across the large table.

As the day progressed, ideas transformed into well defined plans. Each and every member of the team was filled with creative spark and ambitions for the most awaited Fashion Week.

It was special because Rose's brand was going to participate in such a grand event for the very first time. London Fashion Week will become her stepping stone for spreading her wings even wider, for getting her hands on enormous power that comes with fame and influence.

The city skylines casted long shadows across the urban landscape, as the sun dipped below the horizon. Rose, after a day of intense preparations, found herself standing before Vincent's residence.

The impressive modern building was a reflection of his architectural brilliance-clean lines, a fusion of glass and steel, a masterpiece that mirrored Vincent's calculated and precise nature.

Rose pressed the sleek doorbell. The door opened with a soft hum, revealing Vincent in his usual composed demeanor.

"Hey," Rose greeted with a confident smile, breaking the usual formalities.

Vincent nodded, a subtle acknowledgment of her presence. "Come in."

Inside the pristine interior of his home, Vincent led her to a sleek dining area where a meticulously set table awaited them. The ambiance was covered with subtle lighting, and the air with an unspoken tension.

"I thought we could discuss our plans over dinner," Vincent suggested, his gaze was piercing yet more relaxed than usual.

Rose grinned. "Sounds good. You know I prefer scheming on a full stomach."

As they sat down, the conversation unfolded with the clinking of silverware against fine china.

Breaking the silence, Rose casually began, "I ran into Shawn the other day," Her eyes meeting Vincent's. "He insisted on paying for the bouquet of blue roses I always buy. It was unexpected, but I played along. Invited him to dinner, and he said yes."

Vincent's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, a sign that he registered the significance of the encounter. "Interesting. So, you managed to reel him in without showing your cards too soon."

Rose chuckled, "Well, you know me. Subtle manipulation is a form of art."

The evening progressed, and their discussion seamlessly blended with the casual atmosphere. They exchanged details about their progress, each word carefully chosen yet delivered in an easygoing manner.

"I've been working on his schedule," Vincent mentioned, leaning back with a thoughtful expression. "Aligning it with the upcoming fashion week, making sure he's available for the events we have in mind."

Rose nodded, swirling the wine in her glass. "Perfect. We want him where we need him, right at the center."

As the night continued, the boundaries between business and personal interactions blurred. They navigated the complexities of their plan with the ease of two people who knew each other's minds intimately.

In the midst of their conversation, the doorbell echoed through the quiet house. Vincent rose, excusing himself momentarily.