Bumped Into Destiny

Lingling sat in the backseat of her luxury car, scrolling through an endless stream of emails. Her schedule was as precise as ever, but a minor inconvenience-a soft thud followed by her driver muttering an expletive-was threatening to throw her off track.

Her driver's voice crackled nervously through the intercom. "Uh, ma'am... it appears we've... uh, bumped into another car."

Lingling closed her eyes briefly, inhaling deeply through her nose. "Handle it," she said, not bothering to glance up.

She didn't have time for distractions. But then she heard the unmistakable sound of someone outside-laughing. A laugh she'd heard before.

"Seriously? Who taught you to drive, a goldfish?!" the voice exclaimed, filled with mock indignation. "Do you even have a license or is this just a 'hope for the best' situation?"

Lingling froze, her fingers pausing mid-scroll. No. It couldn't be.

Curiosity got the better of her, and she peered out the window. And there she was-Orm-gesturing dramatically at the barely noticeable scratch on her car, hands on her hips and an exaggerated scowl on her face.

Of course.

Lingling sighed, opening the door with her usual composed precision. The sharp click of her heels against the pavement made Orm glance over.

"Sorry for the-" Orm began, but the words caught in her throat as her eyes landed on Lingling. Her mock outrage melted into a wide grin.

"Well, well, well," Orm drawled, leaning casually against her car now. "If it isn't my favorite CEO. What are the odds? I mean, really, did you plan this? Because crashing into my car is a bold way to ask me out."

Lingling's expression didn't waver. "I can assure you, Orm, I have far better ways to spend my time than orchestrating a fender bender to get your attention."

Orm smirked. "Oh, so you admit you want my attention?"

Lingling's cool gaze flicked over the scratch on Orm's car. "The damage is negligible. My driver will take care of it."

"Oh, I'm sure he will," Orm said breezily. Then her smirk widened, mischief glinting in her eyes. "Wait a second... this is your car?!" She laughed, shaking her head. "Of course it is. Only you would show up in a car that looks like it came straight out of a Bond movie. Let me guess, there's an ejector seat?"

Lingling ignored the jab. "If you're done making a scene, I suggest we move on."

"Move on? But we've barely gotten started!" Orm said, leaning closer with a conspiratorial grin. "I mean, it's not every day a CEO crashes into me. Feels kind of... personal, don't you think?"

Lingling crossed her arms. "It's not personal. It's an unfortunate coincidence."

"Coincidence?" Orm raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that? Because I'm starting to think the universe just wants us to spend time together."

Lingling stared at her, unimpressed. "The universe is wasting its time."

"Oh, come on," Orm said, her grin widening. "Admit it-you missed me. You even remembered my name, didn't you?"

Lingling froze for half a second-barely noticeable-but Orm caught it.

"You know, I wouldn't have blamed you if you didn't," Orm continued, voice light and teasing. "You've got a lot going on, what with running the world and all. But I gotta admit-hearing you say my name, that was kinda nice."

Lingling met her gaze, her voice perfectly composed. "Why wouldn't I remember it? It's not exactly a complicated name, Orm."

For the first time, Orm looked a little caught off guard, blinking at her. "Wait, so you actually..." She recovered quickly, a wide grin spreading across her face. "Okay, that's... wow. You did remember. And here I thought I was just a face in the crowd."

Lingling gave her a pointed look. "You're far too irritating to forget."

Orm's grin didn't falter. "I'll take that as a compliment. So... is it my charm or my face that sticks with you? Be honest."

"It's the sheer level of absurdity you bring to every interaction," Lingling said dryly, brushing past her.

Orm laughed, falling into step beside her. "Absurdity, huh? I'll take it. Means I've made an impression." She leaned slightly closer, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "Admit it, CEO-you'd miss me if I stopped showing up in your life."

Lingling stopped abruptly, turning to face her with the kind of icy glare that could freeze lava. "If you're done, I have a meeting to get to."

"Done? Oh, I'm just getting started," Orm said, smirking. "But fine, I'll let you go. Wouldn't want to keep the great Lingling from her world domination plans."

Lingling's lips twitched-just barely-but she quickly turned back toward her car.

Orm called out, "You win this round. But seriously, what are you going to do to make it up to me?"

Lingling tilted her head slightly. "Make it up to you? For what, exactly?"

Orm gestured to her car, the scratch barely visible even under direct sunlight. "For emotionally devastating me. Look at that-my poor car, scarred for life. I might have to start therapy because of this."

Lingling didn't even blink. "Send the invoice to my assistant."

"Your assistant?" Orm said, feigning disappointment. "Not even a personal apology? I'm hurt, CEO. Truly."

Lingling sighed, "If you're quite finished, I have a meeting to attend."

"Fine, fine," Orm said, throwing her hands up in mock surrender. "But don't think this gets you off the hook. You still owe me!"

Lingling paused, glancing with an icy glare. "For the last time, I don't owe you anything."

Orm teased, her grin as wide as ever. "You owe me the satisfaction of knowing you'll think about me later."

Lingling didn't dignify that with a response, stepping into her car without another word.

Lingling didn't respond, but the faintest hint of a smile tugged at her lips as the door closed.

Orm stood on the curb, hands in her pockets, watching the sleek car drive away. "Yup," she said to herself, grinning. "Definitely destiny."