“Dont sign that contract,” the cleaning lady whispered to the millionaire during the negotiations. What he heard next stopped him dead in his tracks.
Emily started her day like always, waking up before sunrise in her tiny flat. The second her old alarm clock rattled, she switched it off so she wouldnt wake her little brother, Oliver, still fast asleep. His pale face and shallow breathing were a constant reminder of the illness slowly wearing him down. As she scrambled eggs for breakfast, she thought about the mounting medical bills. Her cleaners wage barely covered rent, let alone Olivers treatments.
“Todayll be better,” she told herself, smoothing out her grey uniform before heading to work. The sleek corporate skyscraper was worlds apart from her life. Every morning, she slipped through the glass doors with a shy smile, straight to the staff room to start her shift.
Most employees barely noticed herwhich, honestly, suited her fine. That day, though, Edward Harrington, the CEO, was on edge. Known for his cold demeanour and ruthless standards, he was prepping for a high-stakes meeting with foreign investors. His sharp suit and icy stare made even his own team nervous. “Not a single mistake today,” he warned before striding into the boardroom.
Meanwhile, Emily quietly mopped the halls, watching the flurry of stressed assistants rushing about. When the meeting began, Edward walked in with his lawyers, the investors already seated, flipping through papers with calculating grins. Emily had been sent to tidy up last-minute, polishing the table as discreetly as possible. The door didnt quite shut, and from the hallway, she caught fragments of conversation.
One investor, an older man with a thick foreign accent, pushed Edward to sign immediately. “This deal wont wait, Mr. Harrington,” he insisted. Edwards reply was frosty. “I dont rush into things. My team vets everything first.” But even his steel tone couldnt hide the pressure. Then Emily heard a nameone tied to the financial scam that ruined her father. Memories crashed over her: the bankruptcy, the shame, her dads heart attack.
Before she could second-guess herself, she pushed the door open. “Edwardstop! Dont sign that,” she blurted, voice shaking but firm.
Silence. Edward stood slowly, his expression a mix of fury and disbelief. “What the hell are you doing?” he hissed.
Emily clenched her fists. “That mans a fraud. My family lost everything because of people like him.”
Edwards laugh was icy. “And who are *you* to tell me how to run my business?”
The words stung, but she held her ground. “Ive got nothing left to lose. I just couldnt let you walk into this.”
“Get her out,” Edward snapped to security. As they escorted her away, tears pricked her eyes. Shed probably lost her jobbut shed do it again.
Inside, Edward forced calm. “Apologies for the disruption,” he told the investors smoothly. “An overzealous employee. Well handle it.”
But the mood had shifted. The lead investor eyed him. “Are you *sure* everythings under control?”
“Absolutely,” Edward lied.
Half an hour later, the investors postponed the deal. Edward sat alone, seethingbut Emilys warning nagged at him. He dug into the investors files himself. Hidden lawsuits, shady transactions, bankruptciesshed been right. He fired the incompetent analyst whod missed it all.
That evening, Emily trudged home. Oliver grinned from his bed, holding up a crayon drawing of a cottage with a garden. “Look, Em! Our future house.”
She kissed his forehead. “Yeah, Ollie. One day.”
Meanwhile, Edward couldnt shake her words. The next day, he cornered her in an empty hallway. “Howd you know?”
Emily met his gaze. “Because my dad trusted the wrong people. It killed him.”
Something in Edwards chest tightened. That night, he invited her and Oliver to dinner. Over roast chicken, Oliver chattered away, and Edward actually laughed. Later, on the balcony, he turned to Emily. “Youve changed things for me. Let me help youproperly.”
Months later, Oliver was healthier, and Edward proposed in that same cottage Oliver had drawn. Their wedding was small, just friends. As they exchanged vows, Oliver beamed beside them.
And in their new homegarden and allEmily finally let herself believe in happy endings.
