Accidentally picking a prince

🌧 Chapter One — The Storm that Changed Everything The rain started gently that evening, just a few drops tapping against the window like shy knocks. But within minutes, the sky turned heavy and cruel, dark clouds rolling over the city as if they had something to say — something angry, something final. Elara tightened her grip on her umbrella as she hurried down the narrow street. The wind howled, lifting her hair and chilling her skin through her soaked clothes. Her day had already been terrible — her boss had yelled at her for being late, her shoes had torn, and her phone battery had died just when she needed to call for a cab. “Perfect,” she muttered under her breath. “If bad luck were a sport, I’d win gold.” She was halfway across the deserted road when thunder roared like an angry god. The downpour grew wild. Her umbrella flipped inside out. “Oh, come on!” she groaned, shoving it uselessly aside. That was when she saw it — headlights, dim and trembling through the sheets of rain. A car had swerved off the road and into the ditch. The engine hissed like a wounded beast, steam rising from the hood. Elara froze for a heartbeat, her mind screaming at her to run for cover. But something inside her — instinct, maybe fate — made her step closer. The car door was slightly open. She could barely see through the rain, but there was someone slumped inside. “Hey! Are you okay?” she called, but her voice was swallowed by the storm. She rushed to the car and pulled the door wider. A man leaned motionless against the seat, his hair damp and dark against his forehead, his white shirt stained with a streak of blood. His skin was pale — too pale — but his chest still rose and fell faintly. “Oh my God…” she whispered, heart racing. “Hey! Can you hear me?” No answer. Only the rain and the distant hum of thunder. Her hands trembled as she touched his neck — a pulse. Weak, but there. Relief washed through her. She didn’t think twice. She unbuckled his seatbelt, dragged his arm over her shoulder, and somehow managed to pull him out of the car. By the time she got him under the awning of a nearby shop, her lungs burned from the effort. The rain drenched both of them completely, but she didn’t care. “Stay with me, okay?” she said, tapping his cheek. His eyes flickered open for just a moment — deep gray eyes, glazed with pain and confusion. He looked at her as if he didn’t quite believe she was real. That glance hit her like lightning — quiet, piercing, unforgettable. “Good, you’re alive,” she breathed. “Don’t die on me now, mister. I’m not in the mood to explain this to the police.” She tried calling for help, but her phone was dead. The streets were nearly empty — just rain and silence. Finally, she decided. “Fine. You’re coming with me.” It took every ounce of her strength to drag him to her apartment a few blocks away. Her small living room became a battlefield of dripping water and adrenaline. She laid him gently on the couch, fetched a towel, and started cleaning the blood from his forehead. Up close, he looked… expensive. There was something about his features — sharp, clean, and distant — that screamed old money. Even unconscious, he carried himself like someone used to control. “What kind of rich guy drives alone in a storm like this?” she muttered, dabbing at the cut above his brow. “Great. I’ve probably kidnapped a billionaire.” The man stirred. His voice was hoarse but deep. “Where… am I?” Elara startled, dropping the towel. “You’re awake! Uh — my apartment. You had an accident. I found you near West Road.” He blinked, trying to focus. His eyes met hers again, and for a moment she forgot how to breathe. There was something magnetic about him — cold and powerful, like the calm after a storm. “Who are you?” he asked, voice still weak but laced with authority. “I could ask you the same thing,” she shot back. “You nearly died in that car. You should be thanking me, not interrogating me.” His brows knit slightly. “You shouldn’t have brought me here.” Elara frowned. “Wow, you’re welcome. Next time, I’ll just leave you in the rain.” He looked around, confusion flickering behind his gaze, as if trying to remember something. “My phone… my car…” “They’re both dead,” she said flatly. “Like your manners.” For a second, something almost like amusement flashed in his eyes. He sighed and leaned back, the tension in his shoulders easing just a little. “You’re not afraid of much, are you?” “I’ve met scarier people than a half-conscious stranger with attitude,” she said, crossing her arms. Silence settled between them, filled only by the sound of rain against the window. He closed his eyes again, exhaustion overtaking him. Elara watched him for a moment — the way his chest rose slowly, the faint tremble of his hands. Whoever he was, he wasn’t just some random man. His watch alone probably cost more than her rent for the year. But still, she’d found him. And until she figured out what to do, he was her responsibility. She sighed, grabbing a blanket and covering him gently. “Alright, mystery man. Don’t die in my apartment, okay? I can’t afford that kind of drama.” He didn’t answer, but a faint, almost invisible smile tugged at the corner of his lips — the kind that made her wonder if he could hear her after all. Elara leaned against the wall, letting out a tired breath. The storm outside began to fade, but her heart was still racing. Something told her this wasn’t just a random act of kindness. Something about his eyes, that fleeting look through the rain — it felt like a door had opened somewhere in her life. And whether she liked it or not, she’d just stepped through it. --- TO BE CONTINUED