Snow fell thick and silent, unnoticed by a city pulsing under artificial stars. Lights twinkled like a shaken snow globe, but the world spun too fast to catch the shadows lurking in the cold.
At the edge of a hushed park, beside a snow-draped bench, something moved.
Inside a gleaming black Mercedes idling along the sidewalk, Alexander Carrington tapped his fingers impatiently against the steering wheel. His driver had stepped out to clear the windshield, and Alexander had just wrapped a heated call with a board member. His tailored cashmere coat was still immaculate, and his gold watch glinted in the glow of the dashboard.
Alexander Carrington was the kind of man who measured life in profit margins and punctuality. CEO of Carrington Global Investments, he had spent twenty years building an empire and had no time for detours. Especially not tonight. A blizzard was sweeping through the city, and he needed to get to his penthouse to prepare for tomorrow’s high-stakes merger.
But then he noticed it.
Just past the trees lining the park, a small figure stumbled forward, cradling something tightly in his arms.
At first glance, Alexander assumed it was a stray kid—likely homeless, seeking shelter. The boy’s coat was too small, his shoes soaked and torn, and his breath puffed in quick clouds. But it wasn’t the boy’s state that caught his attention. It was what the boy was carrying.
Curious in spite of himself, Alexander rolled down the window. A gust of snow swirled in.
“Hey!” he called out, not unkindly. “What are you doing out here?”
The boy froze. For a moment, he looked like he might run. But then his gaze locked with Alexander’s, and his grip tightened around the bundle.
“Please,” the boy said hoarsely. “She’s cold. I need help.”
“She?” Alexander asked, stepping out of the car despite the protest of his driver.
