Monday, 8:15 A.M.
Steel Medical Center slowly awakened to another busy week.
Doctors hurried through the corridors carrying patient files.
Nurses exchanged cheerful greetings as they prepared for their morning rounds.
The familiar scent of disinfectant lingered in the air.
For everyone else...
It was an ordinary Monday.
For Celina...
It wasn't.
She stood in the staff locker room, staring at her reflection.
For reasons she couldn't explain, her thoughts kept drifting back to the charity gala.
More specifically...
To the moment Aaron had called her by her first name.
"Goodnight... Celina."
A small smile escaped her lips before she quickly shook her head.
"What are you doing?"
She laughed softly at herself.
"He's your boss."
"Stop thinking about him."
"Talking to yourself again?"
Emily's teasing voice came from behind.
Celina jumped.
"You scared me!"
Emily laughed.
"You've been smiling at the mirror for almost a minute."
"I was not."
"Oh, really?"
Emily folded her arms.
"Then why are your cheeks red?"
"They're not."
"They are."
Celina quickly picked up her cleaning supplies.
"I have work to do."
Emily watched her walk away with a knowing grin.
"Hmm..."
"Interesting."
Meanwhile...
A black Rolls-Royce entered the hospital grounds.
Ethan glanced at Aaron.
"We're thirty minutes early."
"I know."
"You don't have any meetings here until nine."
Aaron continued reading a report.
"I wanted to review the children's rehabilitation plans."
Ethan hid a smile.
"Of course you did."
Aaron looked up.
"Is there something amusing?"
"No, sir."
Not another word was spoken.
Inside the pediatric ward, laughter echoed from the playroom.
Celina was helping several children decorate paper butterflies with colorful markers.
"Mine is prettier!" one little girl declared proudly.
A little boy disagreed.
"No! Mine can fly faster!"
Celina laughed.
"How about this?"
"Let's hang all of them on the wall."
"That way..."
"The room will have the most beautiful butterflies in the whole hospital."
The children cheered excitedly.
Just then, a soft voice spoke from the doorway.
"May I come in?"
Everyone turned.
Aaron stood quietly at the entrance.
The children fell silent for a moment.
Then Daniel's eyes lit up.
"It's Mr. Steel!"
Aaron nodded politely.
"Good morning."
Daniel ran toward him.
"Look!"
"I made this."
He proudly held up a bright yellow butterfly.
Aaron studied it carefully.
"It's impressive."
Daniel beamed.
"I made it myself."
"I can see."
Celina watched the exchange in surprise.
She had never imagined Aaron would patiently admire a child's artwork.
He looked... different.
Softer.
Daniel suddenly looked between them.
Then an innocent smile spread across his face.
"Miss Celina."
"Yes?"
"Can Mr. Steel help us make butterflies too?"
The room became very quiet.
Several nurses glanced toward Aaron with curious expressions.
Even Emily peeked through the doorway.
Aaron looked at the table covered with paper, glue and markers.
Then at the hopeful faces surrounding him.
Finally...
He removed his suit jacket and handed it to Ethan.
A collective gasp filled the room.
Ethan almost dropped the jacket.
Aaron rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt.
"Show me what to do."
The children erupted with excitement.
For the next twenty minutes...
The billionaire CEO sat on a tiny chair surrounded by children.
His first butterfly looked nothing like a butterfly.
Daniel burst into laughter.
"It looks like a potato!"
The entire room exploded with giggles.
Even Aaron looked at his creation before quietly admitting,
"I believe you're right."
Celina laughed so hard that tears gathered in her eyes.
"It's not that bad."
Aaron raised an eyebrow.
"You don't sound convinced."
"I'm trying to be kind."
For a brief moment...
Their eyes met.
Neither looked away.
The laughter of the children faded into the background.
It was as though the rest of the room had disappeared.
Until—
"Ahem."
Emily deliberately cleared her throat.
"I hate to interrupt..."
"But some of us are witnessing history."
Everyone turned toward her.
She grinned mischievously.
"I just watched Mr. Aaron Steel lose an art competition to a six-year-old."
The room erupted into laughter once more.
Even Aaron chuckled quietly.
And hearing that sound...
Celina couldn't help smiling.
It was warm.
Real.
Unforced.
For the first time...
She wasn't looking at the city's most powerful billionaire.
She was simply looking at Aaron.
And somehow...
She liked the man she was beginning to know.