High heels echoed across the empty parking lot, followed by the quick, uneven steps of someone lagging behind. Well past the time to leave a normal office, a woman in a brown suit hurried out of the high-rise, her hair streaming in the wind.

Behind her, a man carried a briefcase in one hand and a phone in the other, speaking in clipped phrases, the device wedged against his shoulder. He dug into his pocket for keys.

The car responded with a sharp click as it unlocked.

The woman slid into the back seat and leaned back, massaging her temples. The man passed her the phone, then moved into the driver’s seat. Moments later, the car pulled away, its headlights cutting through the darkness of the lot.

“Stop here,” the woman said. The car slowed to a halt. Before getting out, she added, “Go buy a basket of oranges.”

Stepping into the hospital, she continued forward without asking for directions. Her pace never faltered, her turns precise, moving as if she had walked the same route countless times before.

Avoiding a doctor rushing toward her, she took a sharp turn, only to collide hard with another body. She staggered back as a sharp pain flared in her lower ribs, her balance giving way. If she hit the ground, she would definitely be seriously injured. She closed her eyes, bracing for the cold, hard floor.

Instead, she fell into a warm embrace.

It took her a few seconds to register what had happened. She opened her eyes and saw her reflection in the dark visor of a helmet. A muffled voice reached her ears.

“Okay?”

She did not respond. The voice repeated, louder this time.

“Are you okay?”

She snapped back to reality and steadied herself, stepping away. “I am okay. Thank you for helping.”

She turned to leave and nearly walked straight into the child who had almost sent her to the emergency room. The boy stood there holding his head, crying. She looked down at him with cold, unreadable eyes.

“Do you not know that running in hospitals is dangerous?”

A woman, likely his mother, finally caught up, pulling him close. The woman glanced at the child, then back at the mother. “You should have his head checked. Make sure he understands how dangerous that could have been.”

Whispers followed her as she walked away, murmurs about how unbelievable she was, how she had frightened the child. Ignoring them, she stepped into the room at the end of the hallway.

As soon as she stepped into the room, groans and cries replaced the laughter. The old woman on the bed clutched her stomach, weeping. “Oh God, what have I done to deserve this pain? Even my granddaughter refuses to visit me.”

The assistant, who had somehow arrived before her, sat beside the bed peeling one of the oranges he had bought. He tried to offer a slice to the old woman, but she ignored him, continuing her exaggerated sobbing.

Then she turned toward the door, as if noticing her for the first time. “Oh, Valerie, you are here.” Her voice softened instantly. “Do not worry, it is just indigestion. It is not like I am dying. You do not have to be concerned.”

Despite her words, she kept pressing her stomach and whimpering softly.

Valerie sighed heavily as she approached her grandmother. “Do you not think this is too much? You are wasting resources. How many times have you done this already? Come on, let’s go home.”

“I am not going anywhere,” the old woman snapped. “What wasting? I am using one room to get treated in the hospital I invested a ton of money in. Is that too much to ask?”

Then she added, her voice rising, “And why do you think I do this? You say we are going home, but you are going to drop me off in that big, lonely house and disappear into your gray, depressing apartment. You do not even answer my calls lately. What if something serious really happened to me? How would you know?”

Valerie rubbed between her eyebrows. “The Household manager would let me know. Just like earlier, when she called saying you were on the floor in pain. It seems I cannot trust her anymore. She is becoming more like you.”

The Household manager, who had been standing in the corner from the start, pretending to blend in with the wall, spoke up in defense. “I apologize, but Mrs. Miller kept insisting. I could not ignore her any longer. I will make sure this is the last time.”

Mrs. Miller waved it off. “Do not blame Mildred. I was the one bothering her .” She leaned forward, eyes bright. “Since you are here, why do we not talk about…”

Valerie shot her a cold glance, but she continued. “I found the perfect husband for you. Educated, well behaved, and most importantly, very handsome. I am sure you are going to like him. His name is—”

“I am thirsty,” Valerie cut in. “I am going to get a coffee. You better be ready to leave when I come back.”

She turned and walked out.

“Do not drink coffee,” Mrs. Miller shouted after her. “It is bad for you.”

Fifteen minutes later, Valerie stepped out of a doctor’s office on another floor. At the door, an old man spoke to her in a serious tone. “Why not take this opportunity to rest at home? You have not relaxed in a long time.”

She replied calmly, “It is just a muscle strain. There is no need for all that fuss. Thank you for your concern.”

Her gaze drifted, half listening as he went on about how life was not only about work and responsibility. His words blurred into background noise when she spotted a familiar figure down the hall, a helmet tucked under his arm, speaking on the phone as he slipped toward the stairwell.

She bid the doctor farewell and strode in the same direction.

Inside the empty stairwell, his voice echoed softly. “You know I am short on money lately, after I bought it. Yeah, yeah. Still, I do not regret it.”

The sound of her heels reached him. He turned, their eyes locking. He gave a faint smile and ended the call.

She approached and said, “Sorry, I did not mean to listen to your conversation.”

He nodded in understanding. “Is the miss looking for me, or are you here for a moment of silence? I was about to leave.”

As he moved, she examined his features, peach blossom eyes, a high nose bridge, thin lips, and a smooth jawline. She hurried to stop him.

“Indeed, I am here looking for you.”

He paused and waited.

She hesitated, then asked, “I do not want to seem rude, but are you in need of money?”

A hint of amusement appeared in his eyes, and his smile deepened. “Are you planning to reward me for helping you earlier, or do you have a job opportunity you want to offer?”

She did not deny either. “Both are possible. Are you interested? The latter pays millions.”

“Millions?” His brows lifted. “Then I suppose I have to hear your offer. More money is never a bad idea.”

She asked calmly, “Do you have a romantic partner of any kind at the moment?”

He covered his mouth in exaggerated surprise. “I am actually definitely single. Are you asking me out? You say it is a job, but now this?” He hugged his shoulders dramatically, his smile fading. “You want me to sell myself. I am sorry to disappoint you, but I am not interested.”

She looked at him with utter disbelief. “No! Do you watch too many brain dead movies?” She exhaled once, then said flatly, “I want a contract marriage with someone, and you look like the perfect candidate.”

Even as she said it, she had already decided she would have her assistant investigate him thoroughly before making any final decision.

His smile resurfaced. “Oh, perfect? You mean how handsome I am, how charming and considerate—”

She cut him off. “My grandmother will indeed like someone as well behaved looking as you are. Although, talking to you, it seems one really should not judge a book by its cover.”

He raised a brow. “How am I not obedient? I am very easygoing. And charming, of course.”

He tilted his head slightly. “Should we find a place to discuss this more deeply?"

She glanced at her watch and shook her head. “I am not free at the moment.”

She handed him a business card. “Here. This is my card. You can visit me tomorrow at the M&Y Group headquarters at 12:30 PM. We can talk about it over lunch.”

Then she added, already turning away, “If you change your mind, you can always just call about the reward.”

Looking at her back, he called out before she disappeared, “My name is Julian. Julian Gill.”

She paused for a second, then continued on her way.

He looked down at the card in his hand.

Valerie Miller
CEO, M&Y Group

He brought it closer to his face and quietly kissed it, a proud, unmistakable grin spreading across his lips.