The night sky hung low, heavy with storm clouds. Rain fell in soft sheets, turning the narrow streets into silver mirrors. Moving through the darkness like a fading shadow, a lone figure draped in a black cloak hurried along the alleyway.
In his arms, a tiny child slept—peaceful, unaware of the fear and urgency radiating from the man who carried him. Every step the man took felt heavier than the last. His breath shook. His heart trembled. Letting go of the child felt like letting go of his own soul.
At last, a modest house came into view. A faint candle glowed through the window, the only bit of warmth in the cold night.
The man pressed the doorbell with a trembling hand. The sound rang out sharply through the quiet.
Immediately, he retreated into the shadows, back pressed against the wet brick wall. Rain slid off his cloak as he watched the door with desperate eyes.
The door finally opened. An elderly couple stepped out, sleepy and confused. Their eyes widened when they saw the child at their doorstep. Instinctively, lovingly, they lifted the tiny form into their arms.
The man exhaled—relief mixed with heartbreak.
He stepped back into the night, ready to disappear forever.
But before he could go, he returned for one final moment. Kneeling, he touched the child's head gently and whispered,
"I will protect you… even from afar. I will make you unbreakable. No one will ever defeat you. You are my son—the heir to my legacy. No harm will reach you. I swear it."
He bowed deeply, sealing his vow in the rain-soaked darkness. Then he turned away, melting into the storm.
Footsteps echoed behind him. Someone was chasing him.
He dashed into a narrow lane and hid behind a trash bin, breath trembling.
A car appeared as if waiting just for him. He climbed in and vanished into the stormy night.
Moments later, the pursuer reached the house.
The old couple stepped outside, shielding the child.
"Have you seen a man carrying a child?" the stranger demanded.
The old man shook his head. "We were sleeping. Who would come here? We are poor—we have nothing anyone would want."
Hearing this, the pursuer left with a frustrated sigh, defeated.
Inside, the old woman's eyes shimmered with tears.
"It's a blessing," she whispered. "God has sent us this child."
Her husband wrapped his arm around her, both gazing lovingly at the little life that had just entered their world. In that simple home, the child found safety, and the couple found a miracle they never expected.
Eighteen Years Later________
The child grew under their care, never remembering the night he was abandoned. Their home was the only world he knew. Their love was his truth.
Eighteen years passed.
The fragile baby became a tall, striking young man. His broad shoulders and sculpted body drew everyone's gaze. His eyes—brown and sharp like a cat's—held a quiet intensity that made him unforgettable.
He worked in his college cafeteria, not because he needed money, but because he liked helping the old couple with whatever little he could.
Everyone admired him.
Topper of the college.
Disciplined.
Mysteriously handsome.
Girls approached him with hearts in their eyes, but he refused every confession politely. Something inside him—something he didn't understand—kept him distant.
One afternoon, a rich, confident girl marched up to him.
"Be my boyfriend," she demanded. "I have a car, a bungalow, everything you could ever want. Just be with me."
He looked up calmly, almost amused.
"Maybe I'm broke," he said with a gentle smile, "but I have enough. So… sorry."
Her face twisted with anger. She stormed away, her heels echoing across the cafeteria floor.
He returned to washing the cups, unbothered, focused, as if nothing in the world could shake him.
But deep within him, a forgotten promise whispered through his soul—
A vow made by a man in the rain.
A destiny waiting to return.Ethan finished wiping the last table, hung the apron on the hook, and finally allowed himself to sit down for his meal. Steam rose from the simple plate of food—nothing fancy, but warm and comforting after a long shift.
He had barely lifted his spoon when a volleyball flew across the cafeteria and crashed into his plate, sending rice and gravy splattering across the table.
Laughter erupted.
Ethan looked up to see Daniel, headphones around his neck, swaggering toward him with his gang trailing behind.
Daniel grinned like a devil.
"Poor man Ethan," he mocked loudly.
Before Ethan could react, Daniel grabbed a handful of Ethan's food and shoved it into his mouth. The cafeteria shook with laughter.
Ethan swallowed the humiliation without a word.
One wrong move, one complaint, one detention—
and he could lose his scholarship.
He kept his head down.
Daniel snapped his fingers.
And then Ethan froze.
Because Sophia—his girlfriend—walked over and wrapped her arms around Daniel's waist.
Ethan stood up abruptly.
His voice trembled.
"Sophia… what are you doing with him?"
She looked at him with cold, sharp eyes he didn't recognize.
"I don't want a boyfriend who's poor, Ethan."
Daniel laughed loudly.
"Hear that? The loser even lost his girlfriend!"
Ethan felt the ground slip from under him.
"Sophia… we were together for a year. You were my best friend. You promised—you promised you'd stay with me."
She flicked her hair.
"Yes… but I don't want cheap dinners and a poor life. I want luxury. Daniel can give me that."
His heart shattered quietly.
He walked away, the cafeteria noise fading behind him. He reached the fountain in the courtyard and sat down. The water shimmered under the sunlight, but everything inside him felt dark and hollow.
He covered his face.
For the first time in years, Ethan cried.
Just then—
Footsteps.
Fast.
Urgent.
Before he could look up, a girl grabbed his face and kissed him.
A soft, warm, unexpected kiss.
Ethan froze.
She whispered against his lips, "Don't move. Help me."
Bodyguards rushed past the fountain, scanning the crowd. Ethan sat stiffly while the girl pretended to be close to him.
When the guards passed, she stepped back. Her eyes widened as she looked at his face properly for the first time.
"Why… is he so handsome?" she muttered to herself.
"He looks poor… but if I marry him, I won't have to marry that old, wrinkly man. No one knows him. Perfect."
Ethan blinked.
"What?"
She turned to him suddenly.
"Marry me."
He stared at her.
"No. I don't even know you."
She crossed her arms.
"It's a contract marriage. I'll pay you 10,000 per month."
"Absolutely not."
"Fine," she said sharply. "One million."
Ethan frowned.
"I don't think you have that kind of money."
She pulled out her phone.
A second later, Ethan's phone buzzed.
TRANSFER SUCCESSFUL — 1,000,000
Ethan nearly dropped his phone.
She grabbed his wrist.
"Good. Let's go. We're registering our marriage now."
"Wait— what—"
But she was already dragging him across the campus like a storm.
Within an hour, they stood outside the marriage registration office, the papers stamped and official.
She handed him her card.
"Give me your number. Whenever I call, you come to my house."
Ethan narrowed his eyes.
"I'm not your servant."
She gasped.
"You're so rude!"
"Indeed. I am."
She stared at him, stunned.
She wasn't used to people talking back to her.
Then—quietly, almost shyly—
"Please…"
She looked away, embarrassed.
"I'm the CEO of my company. People line up just for a glimpse of me. And now… I have to request you."
Ethan had no idea that this sudden marriage… was only the beginning of his fate.