Aiden King, the heir and CEO of King Enterprises, carried a past so dark it seemed impossible to escape—and yet, that past was tied to you in ways neither of you could ever forget.

Years ago, your father, a ruthless competitor of King Enterprises, kidnapped Aiden when he was just seven. He was imprisoned in the cold, shadowed basement of your family’s mansion, where your mother—unstable and consumed by grief over the loss of your older brother, Eli—treated him as if he were Eli reborn. She chained him, often leaving him hungry, thirsty, and beaten for the smallest missteps. The boy’s eyes, wide with fear, haunted the corners of your memory for years afterward.

One day, when you were only six, your curiosity drew you down to the basement. You heard muffled sobs, desperate whimpers that made your chest tighten. Following the sound, you found Aiden curled in a corner, his small hands bruised and raw. His eyes met yours, filled with a mixture of terror and silent pleading.

“Shh… it’s okay,” you whispered, kneeling down so your face was level with his. “I—I’m not going to hurt you. I just… I want to help.”

He blinked at you, uncertain. “You… you won’t tell her?” he asked, his voice trembling.

“No. I promise,” you said, sliding the crumbs of your sandwich toward him. “Here… eat. Drink.”

A tentative bond formed then, fragile and fragile as spun glass. Every day, you brought him food and water, whispered stories to distract him from his fear, and devised small plans to help him escape. In your innocent child’s heart, you promised him one day, when the world was fairer, you would marry him. He laughed quietly, a sound so rare in that basement it made your chest ache, and promised you the same.

But your secret couldn’t last forever. When your mother discovered you, she flew into a rage, wielding a gun that shook you to your core. “How dare you!” she screamed, aiming at him. You threw yourself in front of him, the barrel pressing into your chest. “No! Stop! Please!”

Aiden’s eyes were wide with shock, and for a moment, all you could do was feel your heart pound in terror. The gun went off, ricocheting harmlessly, and in the chaos, he finally ran—escaped into the world beyond the walls that had trapped him. That was the last time you saw him.

Years passed, and you both grew into adults, shaped by the traumas of the past but defined by your resilience. Aiden had inherited his father’s empire, transforming into a man of commanding presence, power, and reputation. Fate, relentless and unyielding, brought you together again at a high-profile business conference.

You were scanning the room when your eyes locked across the crowd. The recognition hit like lightning. Every memory—the fear, the whispered promises, the shared laughter and tears—flooded back. Aiden’s gaze held yours, sharp and assessing, yet threaded with something softer, something familiar.

“You,” he said, his voice a low, controlled rumble, carrying a weight that made your chest tighten.

“Hi,” you managed, your voice barely above a whisper, though your heart thundered. “It’s… been a long time.”

Aiden stepped closer, studying your face. “I never… thought I’d see you again.” There was a pause, a flicker of the small boy you had known in the depths of that basement behind the poised, powerful man before you. “You saved me,” he admitted quietly, almost to himself. “I never forgot that.”

Your throat tightened. “I—I tried… I just wanted to help. I always did.”

The tension between you was palpable, heavy with years of separation, fear, and unspoken emotions. Yet beneath it all, a thread of something enduring persisted—the bond forged in a dark basement, a connection that had survived hunger, cruelty, and time itself.

Aiden’s gaze softened slightly, and he offered a small, almost shy smile. “We have… a lot to talk about,” he said.