Chapter 3: The Opportunity

1/8

Inside the supermarket, a small indoor playground buzzed with the chatter of children. A little girl nestled in Alistair’s arms, her tiny frame soft and warm, carried a faint, sweet scent. She was engrossed in stacking colorful blocks, her focus unwavering. Alistair sat patiently beside her, waiting for her mother to arrive. For once, he wasn’t being dragged around by that little tyrant, nor was he stuck wearing an apron while juggling dinner prep. For the first time in years, he had all the time in the world.

“Look! Check out my castle!” the girl chirped, her mood shifting as quickly as only a child’s can. Moments ago, she’d been sobbing, and now, her face lit up with a radiant smile. Maybe it was knowing her mom was on the way, or maybe it was the comfort of this kind stranger’s presence, but her fear had melted away. She beamed, her joy infectious. Alistair didn’t hold back his praise. “Wow, that’s incredible! Look at my castle; it’s nowhere near as good as yours.” Pointing proudly at her creation, the girl declared, “This is my castle. I’m the princess, my mommy’s the queen, and we rule it together!”

2/8

She tilted her head, her eyes sparkling with innocence. “Wanna live with us? I can invite you to stay in our castle!”

Before Alistair could respond, a middle-aged woman stormed over, muttering under her breath, “You little troublemaker, running off like that! I’ve been looking everywhere!” She reached for the girl, her grip rough and impatient. Alistair’s reflexes kicked in. He gently shielded the girl, pulling her out of reach. He knew that kind of tug would hurt her.

The woman glared at him, barking, “Who are you?” Then she turned to the girl, impatiently waving her over. “Come on! I’ve still got dinner to make. Stop messing around here!” The girl clung tighter to Alistair, clearly frightened.

The woman’s voice sharpened. “Who the hell are you? Hand her over right now, or I’ll call the cops and tell them you kidnapped her!”

Alistair stood his ground, his tone calm but firm. “You’ve got some nerve. You’re the one who lost her, and now you’re blaming others?” If this had happened with Daniel, Rebecca wouldn’t have let her off the hook, and he wouldn’t have forgiven himself either.

“Mommy!”

3/8

The girl suddenly wriggled free and bolted toward a young woman, throwing herself into her arms with a gleeful squeal. The woman was breathtaking—the kind of beautiful that made time stop for a second. Alistair thought she looked better than any celebrity he’d ever seen.

The middle-aged woman, caught off guard, tried to shift the blame. “Ms. Ashbourne, this man snatched Eloise while I wasn’t looking. I…”

“You’re lying!” the girl interrupted, her voice fierce. “You answered a phone call and just kept walking and walking, and then you disappeared into that big crowd. I looked for you forever and couldn’t find you!”

The young woman’s face was a mask of ice. “You’re fired.” The older woman’s face fell. She knew she was in the wrong but still tried to argue. “Fine, but you owe me this month’s pay.”

The young woman’s lips curled into a cold, mocking smile. “Pay? You’re lucky Eloise ran into someone kind. If anything had happened to her, do you think you’d be standing here haggling with me?” Defeated, the woman slunk away. However, the matter didn’t end there.

4/8

The young woman lowered her gaze, tapped out a quick text, and sent a directive to blacklist the careless nanny from every company in New York.

Alistair figured it was time to go, though he wasn’t sure where “go” meant anymore. He had nowhere to be. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. He could always check into a motel like he had the night before. For now, his priority was waiting for that opportunity the system had promised.

“Hello, I’m Caroline Ashbourne, this little mischief-maker’s mom.” The young woman stepped in front of him, her eyes locking onto his with an intensity that caught him off guard. Their gazes met, and Alistair froze. He was certain he’d never met her, yet the way she looked at him felt oddly familiar, like a memory just out of reach.

5/8

She reached out her hand. Her fingers were slender, her skin smooth, and her nails neatly trimmed and clean. Alistair’s mind flickered to Rebecca, who was always flaunting elaborate manicures. He’d never thought much of it before, but now, he found this natural simplicity far more striking.

Out of politeness, he shook her hand briefly. Her fingers were cool to the touch, and he let go quickly. “Hi.” Alistair wasn’t the kind of man to be swayed by appearances. Rebecca was beautiful, too, but he’d spent years keeping his distance. To him, inner character trumped appearances every time. Still, Caroline’s beauty was impossible to ignore. Even the pickiest critic would struggle to find a flaw. She wasn’t wearing makeup, yet she was stunning in a way that felt almost otherworldly. At first, he’d pegged her for a celebrity, but he quickly realized her allure surpassed that. She carried an aura of authority, a quiet power that commanded respect, like a queen. Her decisive handling of the nanny only reinforced that impression. Caroline studied him discreetly. Beside her, Eloise Ashbourne nibbled happily on a small cake, occasionally glancing up at Alistair with a bright, innocent smile. Helping a lost child reach their parents or keeping them company until help arrived was, for most people, a small act of kindness.

6/8

Alistair hadn’t thought twice about it and was ready to leave. But Caroline insisted on thanking him properly, which was how he ended up at this upscale restaurant with a mother and daughter he barely knew. He looked calm, but in truth, he was utterly out of his element. He’d always been a loner, and after six years of isolation, he’d nearly forgotten how to function in public. What he’d experienced with Rebecca and Daniel hardly counted as “social interaction.” Back then, he’d been reduced to something even lower than hired help. He’d buried his dignity so deep he wasn’t sure he’d ever get it back.

Eloise got frosting all over her hands and face, and Caroline’s assistant escorted her to the restroom to clean up. After sincerely thanking Alistair, Caroline fell silent, and they ate quietly. She glanced at her phone a few times, sipped her juice, and then, out of nowhere, shifted gears. “So, do you have a girlfriend?”

7/8

It was so blunt that Alistair froze, unsure if he’d heard right. He shook his head automatically. She followed up with another question, just as calmly. “What do you think of me?” Alistair froze, his mind struggling to process her words. Her striking eyes held his, patient and serious, waiting for an answer. He realized she meant every word. “Uh… You’re great,” he mumbled, the words feeling woefully inadequate. In fact, it was a major understatement. In terms of looks and presence, she was nearly flawless. He’d never met anyone who shone as brightly as she did.

A faint smile tugged at Caroline’s lips, softening the cool distance she’d projected. “I’m twenty-four, a single mom, and I run a publicly traded company with an annual income in the nine figures. Providing for my family is never an issue. I’d like to ask you to marry me and build a family together.”

8/8

Alistair stared at her, convinced he’d slipped into some kind of daydream. The kind of fantasy only desperate men indulged in. The kind where a broke, jobless, friendless nobody gets plucked from rock bottom by a beautiful, powerful CEO who falls for him instantly and pulls him into a new life of luxury and love. He let out a self-deprecating chuckle. That was the kind of daydream he used to have, before life beat the hope out of him. Then, a thought struck him like a bolt of lightning. Wait a second… Could this impossible proposal be the opportunity I’d been waiting for?