Stay still, dont say a word, youre in danger. The ragclad young woman with tangled hair and mudsplattered cheeks yanked the billionaire into a shadowed corner and pressed her lips to his, hoping to buy him a second chance and that was that.
Stay still. Dont say a word. Youre in danger.
Those words sliced the night like a knife. Ethan Clarke, chief executive of ClarkeTech Industries, had just stepped out of his car onto a dim alley behind The Savoy, trying to dodge the flashbulbs of the paparazzi waiting at the front. Now a scruffy girl, hair a knot of wires, her face streaked with grime, was pulling him into the darkness.
Before he could even ask, she was already on his lips.
For a heartbeat everything froze. The smell of rain, his trembling hands on the collar of his shirt, the distant hum of traffic all melted into silence. Then a black limousine roared past the alley, its windows smoked, lights off. A man leaned out, scanning the street. Ethans pulse hammered. Whoever they were, they were after him
The girl barely twenty, wearing a ripped hoodie slipped away first.
Youre safe now, she whispered. Youd have recognised me if youd looked up.
Ethan blinked, stunned. Who are you?
It doesnt matter, she said, taking a step back. You shouldnt be out here alone tonight.
He could have walked away. But something in her calm, steady voice, despite the chill, made him stay. Did you know Im being followed?
I notice things, she replied simply. When you live on the streets you learn to watch before you move.
Her name, he later learned, was Poppy Hart. Shed been roughsleeping for two years, usually near Kings Cross station. And that night shed saved the life of one of the richest men in London.
Ethan wasnt the sort to leave loose ends.
That night wasnt the end of their story it was just the beginning.
Three days later Ethan tracked her down again. He put his security team on her trail, which wasnt easy: Poppy kept off the radar, sleeping in a different spot every night. When he finally spotted her in front of a community centre, she looked smaller than he remembered, but her sharp grey eyes met his instantly.
Tell me you didnt follow me, she snapped.
You saved my life, Ethan said. At least let me thank you properly.
She wasnt after his money. People like you give charity just to feel good about yourselves. I dont need a handout.
Then work for me, he offered. Youve got instincts most people dont.
She laughed, a sharp, humourless bark. You want to employ a homeless girl who sleeps under bridges?
Yes, Ethan said, deadpan.
It took weeks, but she grudgingly took a temporary gig on his security team. At first the staff despised her a woman with no background check, no degree, no fixed address didnt belong in their world. But Poppy had something they didnt: gut instinct. She could sense when something was off a stranger lingering too long, a car parked too close.
Soon Ethan realised she wasnt just keeping him safe; she was showing him how blind hed been. You live behind a glass pane, shed said once. People see you, but you dont see them.
He started listening to her, to the other guards, even to the city that his empire sat upon. As the weeks passed his admiration grew. Theyd share latenight coffees in his office, their laughter echoing against the windows. She never flirted, but when she smiled, he forgot how much power he wielded.
Then, one night, the same sleek black sedan rolled up outside her building. This time the target was Poppy.
A bullet meant for Ethan found its way into her instead.
In an instant there was a flash, a sound like shattered glass. Ethans security team tackled the shooter before he could get out onto the street. All Ethan saw was Poppy collapsing onto the marble floor, blood blooming on her sleeve.
Stay with me, he said, pressing his hand to the wound. Her eyes fluttered, dazed but calm. I guess I cant stay away from trouble, she whispered weakly.
The hospital lights seemed endless. Hours slipped by before a doctor emerged, saying shed live barely. Ethan stayed outside her room all night, the words hed once spoken looping in his head: You live behind a glass pane. He was right. Hed built walls of money and reputation to keep the world out. Shed smashed them with a single, impulsive kiss.
Five weeks later, when Poppy finally opened her eyes, Ethan was there. Youre dismissed, he said softly, regaining his composure.
She rolled her eyes. You cant fire yourself. I made you head of my personal security.
He smirked. Impossible.
Maybe. But I owe you my life twice.
While she recovered, Ethan quietly arranged a modest flat for her, a stipend for university and a fresh start. Not as charity, but because he trusted someone who could see the world clearer than he ever could.
A week later they walked together through Hyde Park, leaves falling like whispers. She turned to him. You could have stayed in your tower. Why didnt you?
He looked at her and said, Because sometimes the person who saves you doesnt pull you out of danger. They pull you out of yourself.
So, what do you think? Was Poppy right to kiss him that night? Would you risk everything for a stranger? Let me know what youd do.
