A Millionaire Rides Bus Daily To Avoid Traffic, Not Knowing He’ll Soon Fall For Woman Next To Him
The Weight of a Name
The next morning, Caleb stepped onto the crowded vehicle, searching for Sophia Sinclair. She was there in the same seat with the same book. She looked up as he approached.
“Back again?” she asked, closing the novel with her finger tucked between the pages.
“Didn’t realize I had to clear it with you first,” he replied.
Her lips curved. “I just assumed men in expensive suits didn’t make a habit of riding buses two days in a row.”
He slid into the seat beside her, stretching out his legs. “Guess I like breaking expectations.”
She tilted her head. “Or maybe you just hate traffic that much.”
“Maybe,” he allowed. Something about the way she looked at him made him feel exposed, like she was measuring him against some invisible standard. It was unnerving. He was used to people trying to impress him.
“What are you reading?” he asked, nodding toward the book in her lap.
She glanced down. “An old favorite.”
“That’s not an answer.”
She studied him for a beat before flipping the cover toward him. The title was unfamiliar, clearly well-worn and loved. “You reread books?” he asked.
“Of course. It’s like visiting an old friend. You notice things you missed the first time.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever reread anything,” he admitted.
She turned her head, surprise flickering across her features. “Not even once?”
“I move forward, always.”
Her gaze lingered on him. “That sounds exhausting.”
Caleb didn’t respond because, for the first time, he wondered if she was right. They sat in easy silence. When her stop arrived, she hesitated. “See you tomorrow?” she asked.
“Count on it.”
The next few days followed a rhythm. Every morning, they talked about books, the city, and small things that felt more important than anything else. Sophia noticed street musicians and the way light reflected off windows at sunrise.
“You’re always watching,” he remarked one morning.
She shrugged. “Someone has to.”
He found himself wanting to know more about her. He never mentioned his name beyond that first day or said what he did for a living. For the first time in years, he wasn’t Caleb Montgomery, millionaire CEO. He was just a man on a bus.
It was a Friday morning when the first crack appeared. Caleb had taken a call about an upcoming acquisition right before boarding. As he slid into the seat beside Sophia, a voice rang out.
“Mr. Montgomery!”
A middle-aged man in a suit was staring at him. “I thought that was you. I read about your latest merger. Impressive work.”
Caleb forced a polite nod. “Appreciate it.”
His sharp glance shut the conversation down. The stranger turned away, leaving Caleb to face Sophia. She was watching him, her expression unreadable.
“Montgomery?” she repeated.
He exhaled slowly. “Yeah.”
“As in Montgomery Enterprises?”
He nodded. She let out a soft laugh without humor. “You own half the city.”
“That’s an exaggeration.”
She shook her head. “You never thought to mention that?”
“I liked how things were,” he admitted. “I didn’t want this to be about money.”
She held up a hand, stopping him. “It wasn’t.”
She stood as the bus slowed. Caleb felt something tighten in his chest. “Sophia.”
She shook her head. “See you around, Caleb.”
