A faint voice slowly began to reach my ears.
“Her blood pressure is starting to stabilize.”
“The wound isn’t too deep, but the impact to her head was pretty severe.”
I tried to open my eyes, but my eyelids felt incredibly heavy.
Slowly, white light filled my vision.
I was back in a hospital room.
My head was still throbbing.
When I tried to sit up, the pain made me let out a soft groan.
“Don’t push yourself.”
The calm male voice made me turn toward him.
The man in the black suit stood near the window with both hands in his pants pockets. His face was as composed as before, but his eyes never left me.
“You’re awake.”
I stared at him for several seconds.
“You…”
“I’m Ethan Aurelius.”
My heart began to beat faster.
That name was incredibly famous.
The young CEO of Aurelia Group. A businessman whose face had appeared in business magazines countless times.
I had never imagined I would meet him, much less under circumstances like these.
“The boy…” I asked softly.
“He’s safe.”
I let out a sigh of relief.
“Thank goodness.”
Ethan stared at me without blinking.
“You nearly lost your life for someone you didn’t even know.”
I gave him a faint smile.
“If I hadn’t helped him, I might have regretted it for the rest of my life.”
The room suddenly fell silent.
A few seconds later, the door opened.
A young woman hurried in, carrying the little boy I had saved the day before.
The moment she saw that I was awake, she burst into tears.
“Thank you… thank you so much.”
Before I could react, she clasped both my hands tightly.
“If it weren’t for you, my son would be gone.”
The little boy lowered his head too.
“Miss… thank you.”
I stroked his hair with a smile.
“What matters is that you’re okay now.”
The woman pulled a thick envelope from her bag.
“Please take this.”
I immediately shook my head.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t.”
“It’s just a small token of my gratitude.”
“I didn’t help him to get money.”
The woman looked confused.
Ethan, who had been watching all along, merely narrowed his eyes.
For the second time that day, the woman had refused money.
And there was enough inside that envelope to change many people’s lives.
The woman and her son eventually said goodbye after thanking me repeatedly.
As soon as the door closed, Ethan walked over.
“Do you always refuse help?”
I looked at him.
“That’s not what I mean.”
“Then what?”
“I just don’t want to sell my kindness.”
Ethan’s expression changed.
The answer sounded simple.
Yet in a world full of money-hungry people, those words felt incredibly rare.
“The doctor said you haven’t eaten since yesterday.”
I smiled awkwardly.
“I’m not hungry.”
Even though my stomach had been aching for a while.
Ethan seemed to know I was lying.
He pressed the button beside the bed.
A moment later, a nurse entered.
“Prepare some food.”
“Yes, Mr. Ethan.”
I hurriedly shook my head.
“That’s not necessary. I can buy something myself.”
“Are you sure?”
I fell silent.
My wallet was nearly empty.
The money I had left might not even be enough to buy dinner.
Seeing my expression, Ethan said nothing more.
A few minutes later, the food arrived.
The aroma of hot soup filled the room.
My stomach immediately gave a quiet rumble.
My face flushed with embarrassment.
For the first time, Ethan’s lips curved into a faint smile.
Even if only for a moment, his cold face looked much warmer.
“Go ahead and eat.”
I finally nodded slowly.
Meanwhile…
In a luxurious house, Mrs. Ratih was enjoying afternoon tea with Adrian.
The television in the family room was broadcasting the news.
“A brave woman saved a child from an accident in front of the Aurelia Group building…”
The screen showed distant footage.
Although my face wasn’t very clear, Adrian recognized me immediately.
The cup in his hand fell and shattered.
“That’s… Maya.”
His face suddenly went pale.
“What?”
Mrs. Ratih turned toward the television as well.
“The hero is now being treated at Sentosa Hospital. According to witnesses, the CEO of Aurelia Group personally took her to the hospital.”
Adrian’s eyes widened.
“Ethan Aurelius?”
His heart began pounding faster.
Why was Maya the one who had met such an influential man?
Meanwhile, Mrs. Ratih merely snorted.
“She probably did it on purpose to get attention.”
Yet for the first time, Adrian didn’t agree with his mother.
For some reason, his heart was filled with guilt.
Back at the hospital.
After finishing my meal, I prepared to get out of bed.
“I have to go home.”
“You can’t leave yet.”
“My mother is alone.”
Ethan took out his phone and handed it to his assistant, who had just arrived.
“Surya.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Find out how Maya’s mother is doing.”
The assistant nodded and left.
I stared at Ethan in confusion.
“You don’t have to do all this.”
Ethan looked straight into my eyes.
“To me, your life is worth more than the hospital bill.”
I fell silent.
No one had ever said anything like that to me before.
A few minutes later, Surya returned.
“Sir, Miss Maya’s mother is still at the clinic. The doctor recommends surgery as soon as possible, but the money isn’t available yet.”
I lowered my head.
This was the reality of my situation.
I had no money.
No job.
I couldn’t even save my own mother.
Ethan watched me for a moment before finally speaking in a calm voice.
“If I offered you a job at Aurelia Group… would you be willing to accept it?”
I raised my head, my eyes widening.
I thought I must have heard him wrong.
“Work… at your company?”
Ethan nodded slowly.
“But remember this.”
His gaze sharpened.
“I don’t take people on out of pity.”
“I only hire people I believe are qualified.”
My heart began pounding even faster.
I didn’t know…
That the one answer I would give that night would not only change my life, but also mark the beginning of Adrian’s family’s greatest regret.