Chapter 1 Then Encounter

The morning sun gleamed off the glass walls of Harrington Tower, casting reflections across the bustling city street. People in suits hurried by, coffee cups in one hand and phones in the other, completely absorbed in their own world.

On the sidewalk, a girl knelt, sweeping scraps of trash into a worn cardboard box. Her coat was threadbare, and her hands were smudged with dirt, yet she moved with quiet pride that made her stand out from the other street dwellers. Every motion was precise, careful, almost elegant, as if even picking up garbage required dignity.

Some office workers sneered as they passed. "Does she even belong here?" one whispered. "She looks ridiculous."

The girl ignored them and focused on her task, a faint, knowing smile tugging at her lips. She had long learned that people's judgments were not worth her attention.

Inside the lobby, Alexander Harrington, CEO of Harrington Industries, leaned against the glass wall, waiting for his assistant. Tall, impeccably dressed, and radiating authority, he barely noticed the commotion outside until his eyes landed on her.

She wasn't just another passerby. She was striking in a way that had nothing to do with beauty standards. There was a calm determination in the way she worked, a quiet confidence that drew his gaze despite himself. His brow furrowed slightly. Who was she?

"Sir?" his assistant cleared her throat, holding a stack of files. "She usually comes out here every morning, picking up trash, I guess."

"Trash?" Alexander asked, his voice flat but curious. "Every day?"

"She seems disciplined," the assistant added cautiously.

Alexander smiled slightly. Disciplined was one word for it. Intriguing would have been another. He wanted to watch her closer, to study her without her noticing. She didn't look up, and somehow that made him want to see more.

For the first time in years, Alexander Harrington, the man who controlled boardrooms and deals, felt a tug in his chest he could not explain. He didn't know her name or her story, and yet he wanted to. Something told him that this encounter, brief and ordinary as it seemed, would change everything.