CHAPTER 2
707 Words
CHAPTER 2:
Adrian Blackwood sat at the head of the conference table, his expression unreadable as the board members argued over numbers projected on the screen.
"The Paris acquisition will cost us over three billion dollars" one of the executives said
Adrian didn't even glance at the report
"Approve it"
The room fell silent.
No one questioned his decisions. They questioned whether they could keep up with them.
At the age of thirty two, Adrian had transformed Blackwood Global Corporations into one of the most powerful in the world. His competitors called him ruthless. Adrian called it business.
After the meeting with the board members, Adrian called his driver and personal assistant, Benjamin to come drive him home.
Sophia reached a busy intersection, the traffic light had turned green for pedestrians. She crossed absentmindedly, her thoughts consumed by overdue rent, grandma's medical bills, and Daniel's tuition.
Suddenly—
A deafening horn shattered the silence.
A sleek black Rolls-Royce came to a screeching halt just inches away from her.
Sophia froze.
The cardboard box slipped from her hands.
Its contents scattered across the wet pavement.
The driver, Benjamin hurried out of the car.
"Miss! Are you hurt?"
"I... I'm fine."
Before she could kneel to collect her belongings, another car sped through a puddle, splashing muddy water over her clothes.
She sighed.
"Perfect."
A tall figure stepped out from the back seat of the Rolls-Royce.
He wore a perfectly tailored black suit that looked untouched by the rain.
His expensive watch glinted beneath the city lights.
The air around him carried an effortless authority.
He glanced at the scattered items on the road, then at the soaked woman standing before him.
His expression remained unreadable.
Without a word, he bent down, picked up the framed family photo, brushed away the rainwater, and handed it back to her.
For a brief moment, their eyes met.
Sophia saw piercing gray eyes—calm, distant, impossible to read.
The stranger noticed something different.
Unlike everyone else who recognized him for his wealth, this woman looked at him as though he were simply another man on the street.
No awe.
No excitement.
No attempt to impress him.
Just quiet embarrassment.
"Thank you," Sophia said softly as she accepted the photo.
The man gave a slight nod.
"Be more careful."
His voice was deep and composed.
Sophia frowned.
"I could say the same thing to whoever was driving."
The driver looked horrified.
The man raised an eyebrow, almost amused.
No one spoke to Adrian Blackwood like that.
Not employees.
Not business rivals.
Not even members of the press.
Yet this stranger had done so without hesitation.
For the first time that day, the corners of Adrian's lips lifted into the faintest hint of a smile.
It disappeared as quickly as it had come.
He turned toward the car.
"Let's go."
The Rolls-Royce pulled away, leaving Sophia standing in the rain.
She watched the taillights disappear into the evening traffic.
"Who was that?" she murmured.
Across the city, inside the luxury car, Adrian looked out the window.
"Find out who she is."
His assistant blinked.
"The woman from the crosswalk, sir?"
"Yes."
"May I ask why?"
Adrian's gaze remained fixed on the rain-soaked streets.
"No reason."
But for the first time in years...
Someone had looked at Adrian Blackwood without seeing his fortune.
And neither of them knew that this brief encounter was about to change both of their lives forever.
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