The rain poured relentlessly against the glass windows of the Royal Skye Hotel, painting streaks down its pristine surface. Inside, the lobby gleamed with gold and marble, a quiet hum of expensive silence surrounding the late-night luxury.
Aiden Park walked in, phone in one hand, a black umbrella in the other. His tailored coat clung perfectly to his tall frame, his expression as unreadable as ever.
"Prepare the boardroom for tomorrow. I want the numbers revised before 9 a.m.," he said coldly into the phone, then ended the call.
He hated hotels.
Too loud. Too fake. Too full of people trying too hard to please.
He walked toward the elevator when something—someone—ran straight into him.
Aiden stepped back, startled. A boy, no older than nineteen, had collided into him. Soaking wet, barefoot, and trembling.
"P-please…" the boy whispered, grabbing Aiden's coat with shaking hands. "Please help me… They're going to—"
His voice cracked. "They sold me…"
Behind them, heavy footsteps echoed.
Aiden looked down, frowning. The boy was thin. His clothes were too loose, like they weren't even his. And those eyes—wide, terrified, yet pleading—struck something in him.
"Found him!" a man's voice barked from behind.
The boy flinched and tried to run again, but Aiden didn't move. Instead, he turned slightly, eyes narrowing.
"Is there a problem?" Aiden asked coolly.
The hotel manager, panting, forced a smile. "No, sir. That boy—he's… a helper. Got lost. We'll take him back."
"Is that so?" Aiden's voice dropped. "Because he just told me he was sold."
The manager faltered. "I-I'm sure it's a misunderstanding."
Aiden turned to the boy. "What's your name?"
"…Yuuto," the boy whispered.
"Come with me."
"What?" the manager blinked. "Sir—"
Aiden pulled out his phone. "I'm buying out this hotel. Effective now. And he's coming with me."
"Wh-what?!"
"I'll have my legal team handle the paperwork. In the meantime…" He removed his coat and wrapped it around Yuuto. "You belong to no one. Not anymore."
Yuuto's lips trembled, eyes filling with tears. He nodded.
Aiden turned back to the manager. "Tell whoever 'owns' him to call my lawyers. If they survive the lawsuit."
And just like that, they walked out. The cold night welcomed them again, but for the first time in years, Aiden felt warmth—odd, unfamiliar warmth—on a rainy night.
And Yuuto… had no idea that the man who just saved him was the loneliest person in the world—with a time limit ticking quietly in his heart.