I Proposed To A Scarred Homeless Man To Save My Family's Empire

An Unbelievable Proposal on the Concrete

The autumn wind howled through the canyons of the city, weaving between the towering concrete skyscrapers of the financial district. Grace Sterling, dressed in a flawless light grey pantsuit and dark sunglasses, ignored the cold. She had eyes only for the man sitting on the dirty sidewalk. He was wrapped in a frayed, oversized hoodie, his face heavily scarred and his hands trembling from the bitter cold. To the rest of the world, he was just Andrew, a nameless soul lost to the streets. But to Grace, he was everything.

Ignoring the dirt and the whispers of passing pedestrians, Grace knelt before him. Behind her, a wall of silent men in black suits stood guard, ensuring no one interfered. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small blue velvet box, flipping it open to reveal a heavy gold signet ring.

"Marry me. Please," she pleaded, her voice trembling with raw emotion.

The homeless man stared at her, his eyes clouded with confusion and deep-rooted pain. He looked at the pristine woman kneeling in the grime, then down at his own calloused, filthy hands.

"Why me?" he asked, his voice a raspy whisper.

Tears escaped from beneath Grace's sunglasses, tracing wet paths down her cheeks.

"Because it's you," she whispered back, leaning closer. "Please, Arthur. Please."

Before he could react to the name, his eyes locked onto the gold emblem engraved on the ring inside the box. It was a soaring phoenix wrapping around a sword—the Sterling family crest. His breath hitched, and a spark of recognition flared in his dull eyes.

"This name..." he muttered, his scarred face tightening in pain as a sudden memory flashed in his mind.

Suddenly, the screech of burning rubber shattered the tense silence. A heavy black SUV mounted the curb, throwing pedestrians into a panic. The doors flew open, and heavily armed security guards rushed out.

"Get him, stop!" a voice roared. "Don't let him remember!"