The bus rumbled, a metal beast crawling through the city's veins. Harper Williams, clinging to a pole, silently cursed her luck. Another interview, another desperate attempt to claw her way out of the abyss of unemployment. The air thickened with the scent of unwashed humanity, and she clamped her mouth shut, trying not to gag.

A warm breath tickled her ear, a voice like velvet. "That's cute."

Harper flinched, turning to face a pair of amused gray eyes. He was too handsome for her sanity, a dangerous distraction. "Sorry, but I don't talk to strangers," she managed, her heart doing a frantic jig.

"But you're talking to me right now."

Before she could retort, a deafening clang ripped through the air. The bus lurched violently, a symphony of terrified screams erupting around her. The world spun. A truck's blaring horn, a sharp turn, and then the sickening lurch as the bus teetered on the edge of a bridge, half of it dangling precariously over the dark, churning ocean below.

Panic seized the passengers. "We're about to fall!" a voice shrieked.

Hearing the cries of a small girl, Harper pushed through the chaos, her earlier dreams of heroism resurfacing. She helped children and the elderly escape, a desperate race against time. Then, a tiny hand tugged her skirt. "Help papa, please!"

An old man, trapped in the wreckage, his leg pinned. Harper gritted her teeth, ignoring the tremor in her limbs, and strained against the metal, freeing him just as the bus gave a final, agonizing groan. She pushed him out, watching him reach safety.

A sudden, violent jolt. The bus plunged.

Harper smiled, a strange peace settling over her. She raised a hand, forming a peace sign, as the dark water swallowed her whole. The last thing she saw was the handsome stranger's face, etched with confusion and tears.