Chapter 1 - Bread in the RainThe rain fell in cold, relentless sheets across downtown Chicago.
Adrian Cole sat in the back of his chauffeur-driven Maybach, staring out at the blurred city lights. At thirty-two, Adrian was the sole heir to Cole Globalâa multi-billion-dollar tech and real estate empire. He possessed wealth, influence, and handsomeness that made him the cityâs most coveted bachelor. Yet his heart was completely hollow.
Every relationship he had ever pursued ended the same way. The women in his social circlesâmodels, heiresses, and socialitesâadored his penthouse, his private jets, and his endless black cards. None of them cared for the tired, overworked man behind the fortune.
To make matters worse, his familyâs board of directors had issued an ultimatum earlier that afternoon: marry within six months to demonstrate stability and secure his appointment as permanent Chairman, or risk losing controlling shares to his ambitious uncle.
âStop the car,â Adrian commanded suddenly, his eyes catching a scene on the sidewalk.
Beside an alleyway, a plus-size woman sat under a leaking canvas awning. Her clothes were worn, her dark hair wet from the storm, her frame soft and voluptuous. She held a small piece of dry bread wrapped in paperâher only meal of the day.
As Adrian watched through the tinted window, a thin, shivering orphan boy wandered down the street, crying softly from hunger.
Without a second of hesitation, the woman smiled warmly, broke the piece of bread in two, and handed the larger half to the child. She patted his head gently, offering him words of comfort while taking only a tiny crumb for herself.
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In a world where everyone took from Adrian, this woman gave when she had nothing.
Adrian opened his door and stepped out into the rain.
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