Chapter 3 The Opportunity 1/8 Inside the supermarket , a small indoor playground buzzed with the chatter of children . A little girl nestled in Alistair's arms , her tiny frame soft and warm , carrying the faint , sweet scent . She was engrossed in stacking colorful blocks , her focus unwavering . Alistair sat patiently by her side , waiting for her mother to arrive . For once , he wasn't being dragged around by that little tyrant , nor was he stuck wearing an apron while juggling dinner prep . For the first time in years , he had all the time in the world . " Look ! Check out my castle ! " the girl chirped , her mood shifting as quickly as only a child's can . Moments ago , she'd been sobbing , and now , her face lit up with a radiant smile . Maybe it was knowing her mom was on the way , or maybe it was the comfort of this kind stranger's presence , but her fear had melted away . She beamed , her joy infectious . Alistair didn't hold back his praise . " Wow , that's incredible ! Look at my castle , it's nowhere near as good as yours . " Pointing proudly at her creation , the girl declared , " This is my castle . I'm the princess , my mommy's the queen , and we rule it together ! " Chapter 3 The Opportunity 2/8 She tilted her head , her eyes sparkling with innocence . " Wanna live with us ? I can invite you to stay in our castle ! " Before Alistair could respond , a middle - aged woman stormed over , muttering under her breath , " You little troublemaker , running off like that ! I've been looking everywhere ! " She reached for the girl , her grip rough and impatient . Alistair's reflexes kicked in . He gently shielded the girl , pulling her out of reach . He knew that kind of tug would hurt her . The woman glared at him , barking , " Who are you ? " Then she turned to the girl , impatiently waving her over . " Come on ! I've still got dinner to make . Stop messing around here ! " The girl clung tighter to Alistair , clearly frightened . The woman's voice sharpened . " Who the hell are you ? Hand her over right now , or I'll call the cops and tell them you kidnapped her ! " Alistair stood his ground , his tone calm but firm . " You've got some nerve . You're the one who lost her , and now you're blaming others ? " If this had happened with Daniel , Rebecca wouldn't have let him off the hook , and he wouldn't have forgiven himself either . " Mommy ! " Chapter 3 The Opportunity The girl suddenly wriggled free and bolted toward a young woman , throwing herself into her arms with a gleeful squeal . 3/8 The woman was breathtaking . The kind of beautiful that made time stop for a second . Alistair thought she looked better than any celebrity he'd ever seen . The middle - aged woman , caught off guard , tried to shift the blame . " Ms. Ashbourne , this man snatched Eloise while I wasn't looking . I … " " You're lying ! " the girl interrupted , her voice fierce . " You answered a phone call and just kept walking and walking , and then you disappeared into that big crowd . I looked for you forever and couldn't find you ! " The young woman's face was a mask of ice . " You're fired . " The older woman's face fell . She knew she was in the wrong , but still tried to argue . " Fine , but you owe me this month's pay . " The young woman's lips curled into a cold , mocking smile . " Pay ? You're lucky Eloise ran into someone kind . If anything had happened to her , do you think you'd be standing here haggling with me ? " Defeated , the woman slunk away . However , the matter didn't end there . Chapter 3 The Opportunity The young woman lowered her gaze , tapped out a quick text , 4/8 nanny from every and sent a directive to blacklist the careless n company in New York . Alistair figured it was time to go , though he wasn't sure where the " go " meant anymore . He had nowhere to be . Well , that wasn't entirely true . He could always check into a motel like he had the night before . For now , his priority was waiting for that opportunity the system had promised . " Hello , I'm Caroline Ashbourne , this little mischief - maker's mom . " The young woman stepped in front of him , her eyes locking onto his with an intensity that caught him off guard . Their gazes met , and Alistair froze . He was certain he'd never met her , yet the way she looked at him felt oddly familiar , like a memory just out of reach . She reached out her hand . Her fingers were slender , her skin smooth , and her nails neatly trimmed and clean . Alistair's mind flickered to Rebecca , who was always flaunting elaborate manicures . Chapter 3 The Opportunity He'd never thought much of it before , but now , he found this natural simplicity far more striking . 5/8 Out of politeness , he shook her hand briefly . Her fingers were cool to the touch , and he let go quickly . " Hi . " Alistair wasn't the kind of man to be swayed by appearances . Rebecca was beautiful , too , but he'd spent years keeping his distance . To him , inner character trumped appearances every time . Still , Caroline's beauty was impossible to ignore . Even the pickiest critic would struggle to find a flaw . She wasn't wearing makeup , yet she was stunning in a way that felt almost otherworldly . At first , he'd pegged her for a celebrity , but he quickly realized her allure surpassed that . She carried an aura of authority , a quiet power that commanded respect , like a queen . Her decisive handling of the nanny only reinforced that impression . Caroline studied him discreetly . Beside her , Eloise Ashbourne nibbled happily on a small cake , occasionally glancing up at Alistair with a bright , innocent smile . Helping a lost child reach their parents or keeping them company until help arrived was , for most people , a small act of kindness . Chapter 3 The Opportunity 6/8 Alistair hadn't thought twice about it and was ready to leave . But Caroline insisted on thanking him properly , which was how he ended up at this upscale restaurant with a mother and daughter he barely knew . He looked calm , but in truth , he was utterly out of his element . He'd always been a loner , and after six years of isolation , he'd nearly forgotten how to function in public . What he'd experienced with Rebecca and Daniel hardly counted as " social interaction . " Back then , he'd been reduced to something even lower than the hired help . He'd buried his dignity so deep he wasn't sure he'd ever get it back . Eloise got frosting all over her hands and face , and Caroline's assistant escorted her to the restroom to clean up . After sincerely thanking Alistair , Caroline fell silent , and they ate quietly . She glanced at her phone a few times , sipped her juice , and then , out of nowhere , shifted gears . " So , do you have a girlfriend ? " It was so blunt that Alistair froze , unsure if he'd heard right . He shook his head automatically . She followed up with another question , just as calmly . " What do you think of me ? " Alistair froze , his mind struggling to process her words . Her striking eyes held his , patient and serious , waiting for an Chapter 3 The Opportunity 7/8 answer . He realized she meant every word . " Uh … You're great , " he mumbled , the words feeling woefully inadequate . In fact , it was a major understatement . In terms of looks and presence , she was nearly flawless . He'd never met anyone who shone as brightly as she did . A faint smile tugged at Caroline's lips , softening the cool distance she'd projected . " I'm twenty - four , a single mom , and I run a publicly traded company with an annual income in the nine figures . Providing for my family is never an issue . I'd like to ask you to marry me and build a family together . " Alistair stared at her , convinced he'd slipped into some kind of daydream . The kind of fantasy only desperate men indulged in . The kind where a broke , jobless , friendless nobody gets plucked from rock bottom by a beautiful , powerful CEO , who falls for him instantly and pulls him into a new life of luxury and love . He let out a self - deprecating chuckle . That was the kind of daydream he used to have , before life beat the hope out of him . Then , a thought struck him like a bolt of lightning . Wait a second … Could this impossible proposal be the opportunity I'd been waiting for ?