The executive floor was unlike the rest of the hospital.
The marble floors sparkled beneath crystal chandeliers, and every office door bore the name of a senior executive. It was a place where ordinary staff rarely lingered.
Celina pushed her cleaning cart into the VIP conference room.
She glanced at the large clock on the wall.
Twenty minutes.
"Plenty of time," she murmured.
She carefully dusted the long conference table, polished the glass windows, and wiped every chair until it gleamed. Just as she finished mopping the floor, her supervisor rushed in.
"Celina! The inspection team is already on this floor!"
Celina's eyes widened.
"What? I thought I had twenty more minutes."
"The schedule changed. Hurry!"
Without another word, Celina grabbed the bucket and pushed her cart toward the hallway.
At that exact moment...
Aaron Steel and a group of executives turned the corner.
The hospital director spoke nervously.
"This wing was renovated three months ago, Mr. Steel. We've also improved patient services by—"
Aaron suddenly stopped walking.
His sharp eyes landed on a small puddle of water near the conference room entrance.
The executives immediately fell silent.
Celina, backing out while pulling her heavy cart, didn't notice them.
Her foot slipped.
"Oh!"
The bucket tipped over.
Water splashed across the polished marble floor.
For one horrifying second...
The entire hallway froze.
The hospital director's face turned pale.
The supervisor looked as though she might faint.
Celina quickly grabbed a towel.
"I'm so sorry! I'll clean it right away."
No one answered.
She slowly looked up.
Standing only a few feet away was a man taller than everyone else, dressed in a perfectly tailored charcoal suit.
His expression was unreadable.
Cold.
Calm.
His piercing gray eyes met hers.
Aaron Steel.
Neither of them spoke.
The silence stretched so long that Celina could hear her own heartbeat.
Finally, Aaron looked at the spilled water.
Then back at Celina.
"Is this how you maintain safety standards?" he asked quietly.
His voice wasn't loud.
But it carried enough authority to make the entire hallway tense.
The hospital director immediately stepped forward.
"I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Steel. This was an unfortunate accident."
Aaron didn't look at him.
His eyes remained fixed on Celina.
She lowered her gaze.
"It was my mistake," she admitted. "I should have been more careful."
For a brief moment, Aaron studied her.
Most employees would have blamed someone else.
She didn't.
Without another word, he stepped around the puddle and continued walking.
"Let's continue the inspection."
Everyone hurried after him.
Only after they disappeared around the corner did the supervisor release a long breath.
"Oh my goodness..."
Mia rushed over and whispered excitedly,
"Celina... do you realize you just spilled water in front of Aaron Steel?"
Celina sighed as she picked up the bucket.
"I know."
"Weren't you terrified?"
She smiled faintly.
"A little."
Then she quietly added,
"But he wasn't as scary as everyone says."
Unknown to her...
As Aaron entered the elevator, he turned to his assistant.
"The cleaner."
"Yes, Mr. Steel?"
"Find out her name."
The assistant blinked in surprise.
"Right away, sir."
The elevator doors slowly closed.
Far below, Celina continued mopping the floor...
Completely unaware...
That America's most feared billionaire had just asked for her nam