He looked at her with a smile that said: I haven’t forgotten you.
Later that evening, he found her in the garden behind the hospital. She was alone, still in shock.
« I didn’t lie to you, » Leo said calmly. « I needed to see the world differently. I was disillusioned. Betrayed by people I trusted. So I cut myself off completely—for weeks. No one knew where I was. And then I met you. »
Grace crossed her arms. « Why me? »
« Because you helped me when I was invisible. You didn’t care about my appearance. You didn’t ask what I could offer you. You just… took care of me. »
Her voice trembled. « You led me to believe you were homeless. »
« I was, » he replied. « In what really matters. »
As she was about to answer, a call interrupted her: an emergency was arriving. But before she left, Leo gently took her hand.
« I’m not finished, » he said with a smile. « I’ll be back. »
And this time, it won’t be in rags.
Two weeks had passed since Grace Evans had seen Leo again — the man she had helped when he appeared to be homeless — only to discover that he was actually Leonard Carter, one of the richest businessmen in the city.
Now, everyone in the hospital was whispering about her. The nurses were nudging each other. The doctors were raising their eyebrows. One of them even dared to ask, « So, when’s the wedding, Cinderella? »
Grace tried to ignore it. « There’s nothing between us, » she said. But deep down, she didn’t believe it.
One quiet Saturday morning, Grace was volunteering at the hospital’s free clinic. She liked the slower pace and the opportunity to help patients who, like Leo once had no one.
A young boy then entered with a note. « Are you Nurse Grace? » he asked.
She nodded and took the envelope he handed her.
Inside, a card simply said:
Follow the flowers.
She stepped outside, puzzled, and noticed a white rose lying on the sidewalk. Then another, a few steps further on. And yet another. She followed them down the alley next to the hospital, climbed a side staircase leading to the rooftop garden. The whole place had been transformed: dozens of roses, strings of lights around the railing, and a small table with her favorite tea and biscuits awaited her.
Next to him stood Leo, dressed simply, but with the quiet elegance of someone who had returned not only with his fortune — but with a purpose.
« Did you remember my favorite tea? » she whispered.
He smiled. « I remember everything about you. »
They sat down. For a moment, not a word was spoken. The breeze gently caressed them. In the distance, the city hummed — but here, time slowed down.
« I’ve owned everything money can buy: yachts, penthouses, cars. But I’d never had anyone see me… stripped of all that. Until you. »
Grace lowered her eyes, unsure of what to say.
« You helped me without asking who I was. Without expecting anything in return. And it changed me. »
He stood up, took a small velvet case out of his pocket, and knelt down.
Grace gasped.
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