Rejected By The Billionaire, Chosen By His Daughter.

A heavy bang shaken Elena Carter's apartment door. She jolted awake, her heart lurching into her throat. Another bang followed, but louder this time. "Miss Carter!" The husky voice outside made her stomach sink. She grabbed the cracked phone beside her mattress. 5:35a.m. Too early for visitors, too early for good news. The tiny apartment was chilling. A freezing breeze slipped through the cracked window while steady drips echoed from the leaking sink into the bucket beneath it. Paint peeled from the damp walls, and the faint smell of detergent hung in the air. Another sharp knock jolted the door. "Miss Carter! " Open up right now!" “I'm coming” she let out a yawn and hurried across the room and pulled the door open. Mr. Henson, the property manager, stood outside with a yellow envelope tucked beneath his arm. His expression revealed everything before he spoke. "You have until six this evening," he said flatly. "After that, we're changing the locks." That instant,Her chest tightened. "Mr. Henson... please." "I've already spoken to you twice." "I know." She forced herself to meet his eyes. "Just give me one more day." She pleaded. He sighed heavily. " I’ve heard that before." He forced the envelope into her hands. "Final notice." The paper suddenly felt as heavy as rock. "If today's rent isn't paid, the apartment will be available to a new tenant." Without another word, he walked away. His footsteps faded down the hallway. Elena slowly closed the door. Silence returned. She looked down on the envelope. FINAL EVICTION WARNING. For several seconds, she simply stared. Then she folded the notice carefully instead of crushing it. "No," she whispered. "Not today." Today was her chance. Her interview at Blackwood Holdings. One of the country's largest corporations. The position was only an administrative assistant role, but the salary would erase her debts, save her apartment, and finally give her a chance to breathe again. She splashed cold water across her face, tied her chestnut hair into a neat ponytail, and slipped into her only navy blazer, bought secondhand three years ago and carefully repaired by her own hands. She looked into the small mirror above the sink. "You've got this girl." Her reflection didn't look convincing. Morning traffic had already gulped the city by the time she reached downtown. Glass skyscrapers flashed beneath the rising sun. Car horns blared. Pedestrians rushed in every direction. Elena checked the time. Still early. A smile tugged at her lips. "Better early than unemployed." To save a few extra minutes, she turned into a quiet side street lined with delivery trucks and brick warehouses. Then she heard voices. "We need to move fast." She slowed down. Another man answered. "Security changes with the shift." Curiosity pulled her toward a stack of wooden pallets. She carefully peeked around them. A black SUV waited nearby. Two men stood beside it. One unfolded a photograph. Elena's breath caught at once. “Sophia Blackwood!” "The driver stops at the toy store every Thursday." "So we take her there?" "No." The taller man folded the picture. "We grab her before she reaches the car." Elena froze. Without thinking, she slipped her phone from her handbag and pressed Record. "...no mistakes this time," the taller man continued. "Our employer is paying too much." The second man frowned. "You still haven't told me who hired us." A brief silence followed. Then came the answer. "The order came from inside Blackwood Holdings." Elena's blood ran cold. “Inside? “Someone within the company wanted Sophia kidn*pped"? She whispered softly. Her trembling fingers lost their grip. Tap! Her phone struck the wooden pallet. Both men spun around. "Who's there?" Their eyes locked onto her. For one terrifying second, time stood still. Then Elena ran. "She's got a phone!" "Catch her!" Footsteps thundered behind her. She burst out of the alley and into the busy street, weaving between startled pedestrians. People shouted as she pushed past them. A horn blared. She dared one quick glance over her shoulder. and saw that the kidnappers were catching up. Then she saw a sleek black sedan pulled up outside an upscale boutique. A young girl stepped out, smiling at her stuffed rabbit. “Sophia Blackwood”. They said in unison. That instance,the kidnappers immediately changed direction. "They're going for the girl!" Elena didn't think twice. She rushed toward a nearby fruit vendor, grabbed the tray of oranges, muttered a quick apology, and hurled it across the pavement. Oranges exploded in every direction. One kidnapper stepped onto the rolling fruit. His feet flew out from under him. He crashed into his partner. Both men slammed onto the pavement. People screamed and the street erupted into chaos. Sophia looked up in confusion. "Sophia!" Elena shouted at the top of her lungs. "Run!" Sophia hesitated for only a heartbeat before instinct kicked in. She sprinted toward the waiting sedan. Her security driver finally noticed the commotion. "Inside! Now!" He yanked open the rear door. Sophia jumped in. The sedan shot into traffic, disappearing between buses and taxis before the kidnappers could recover. One of the men slowly climbed to his feet. His furious gaze locked onto Elena. "You just made the biggest mistake of your life!" Distant police sirens echoed through the city. The kidnappers exchanged a look before disappearing down another alley. Only after they vanished did Elena realize she was shaking. She leaned heavily against a lamppost, struggling to catch her breath. Then something glinted among the scattered oranges. A silver pendant. She bent down and picked it up. A single letter was engraved on the front. B. She slipped it into her handbag just as the approaching sirens grew louder. "I don't have time for this," she whispered. Her eyes glanced at the cracked screen of her phone. 8:46 a.m. Her heart nearly cease. "My interview!" Blackwood Holdings. She was already late. If she missed this opportunity, everything would fall apart. And in that instant, she had no idea she was sprinting straight toward the moment that would change her life forever.