Chapter 1 - The Awakening
Slowly, the heavy fog of exhaustion began to lift from Chloe’s mind.
She blinked against the harsh cabin lights, her neck stiff and her cheek resting on something incredibly solid and warm.
The scent of expensive cedar and spiced bergamot filled her senses, a sharp contrast to the sterile smell of the clinic she was used to.
As her vision cleared, she realized her arms were loosely draped across a bespoke charcoal suit jacket.
Panic seized her chest like a vise.
She jolted upright, her heart hammering wildly against her ribs.
Chloe turned her head and found herself staring into the darkest, most intense pair of eyes she had ever seen.
It was Julian Vance, a man known in the tabloids as the ruthless Sheikh of Wall Street, a billionaire whose mere presence commanded terror.
"I... I am so incredibly sorry," Chloe stammered, her face burning with immense heat.
"I haven't slept in two days, and my mother is in the hospital."
She expected him to yell, to summon security, or to humiliate her in front of the entire first-class cabin.
Instead, Julian’s sharp jawline softened imperceptibly.
He reached out, his large, warm hand gently brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
"Breathe, Chloe," he commanded softly, his deep voice sending an unexpected shiver down her spine.
The fact that he already knew her name made her breath catch in her throat.
"The flight is landing in ten minutes," Julian continued, his gaze never leaving hers.
"My private car is waiting on the tarmac, and you are coming with me so we can get you to your mother safely."
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The surrounding passengers gasped in collective disbelief.
The most dangerous man in the financial world was offering a ride to a penniless nurse in worn-out scrubs.
