Renovation

Sophia’s POV. 

one week. That’s all it had taken for my entire world to transform. 

I stood outside the charity building, but I barely recognized it. Where there had once been a three story structure with peeling paint and outdated fixtures, now stood something that looked like it was straight out of an architectural magazine. 

The exterior had been completely renovated with clean lines and modern materials, large windows and natural light and feature elegant glass door with PINNACLE CARE INITIATIVE written IN professional elegant way, but it was what I waited inside that truly took my breath away. Medical facilities with examination rooms that actual look like hospital, a shop fully stocked of medicine, classrooms with the latest technology designed by child psychologist and enough space to help as many children as we ever had. 

Before, this was what I had imagined in my wildest dreams, but I never truly believed it would come to  past. 

It felt like I was in some kind of dream I might wake up at any moment. 

A voice interrupted my thoughts, I turned back to see Janet, beaming beside me. 

“Someone is asking for you.” She said. 

 “Can you give me just a moment? I need to take all of this in. I still can’t believe it’s real.”

“I understand, but it’s the donor.” Her voice carrying a note of excitement. “The anonymous donor who made all this possible wants to meet with you.”

Suddenly, I was fully alert. After  a week of wondering who could’ve been generous enough to change my life so completely I was finally going to get answers. 

“He’s here? Now?”

“In your office, waiting for you.”

I followed Janet inside, my heart pounding with anticipation as we walk through the renovated interior, I still imagine what kind of person could make such an incredible gift. 

Outside my office, Janet stopped walking and gestured for me to stepped in. “To your office now the founder of Pinnacle care initiatives.” She smile. 

I shook my head and pushed the door open, my body turned cold.

The man sitting in one of my chairs was not what I had expected. He was younger than I’d imagine probably in his early 30s with an undeniable presence that commanded attention. His black hair was perfectly styled, and when he looked up at me, I was struck by the intensity of his blue eyes. 

He was handsome in a way that was almost intimidating, masculine confident, and expensively, dressed in a tailored suit. But there was something else about him something that made me feel like I’ve seen him before. 

“Miss Sophia,” he said, standing up, his voice was smooth cultured with the hint of an accent. “Thank you for meeting with me,”

I shook his hand, trying to place where I might have encountered him before. 

“Thank you for everything….. well…. This transformation is beyond anything I could’ve dreamed of.”

“I’m glad you’re pleased with it.”

“I am, but I have to ask….. do i know you? You look familiar somehow.”  

The man smiled, and there was something in that smile that made me slightly uneasy, not threatening, exactly but like he was aware of something I wasn’t. 

“Do you think you know me?”

“I’m not sure…. there’s something about you that seems familiar, but I can’t place it.”

He studied my face for a moment. 

“Damien Locke.” 

The name hit me like a physical blow. I actually took a step backward. My mind reeling, pieces began falling into place. 

“Excuse me,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “Can you repeat that?”

“Damien Locke.” He repeated. 

 I fumbled for my phone, my hands shaking as I quickly typed his name into the search box.  Result popper up.  My stomach dropped. Damien Locke, the owner and CEO of Locke empire, known for his aggressive business tactic and his intense rivalry industries.  His rivalry with Aiden was well known. 

I looked up from my phone to find him watching me, amusement clearly written on his face, he’s aware of what I was discovering. 

“Damien….” I said, more like a question. “The Damien, who owns Locke Empire?”

“Guilty as charged.”

My mind was spinning. This was the same man Aiden had spoken about during his recovery, according to my ex-husband, Damien Locke was ruthless, wicked completely without conscious. Aiden had painted him as the villain in every business he’d ever told me. The man supposedly terrible person had just donated millions of dollars to transform my charity into something incredible. 

I was torn between believing everything Aiden had told me about him and the generosity I was witnessing firsthand. 

“…I don’t underst…..understand.”  I said, sinking into my chair, “why would you do this? Why would you help my charity?”

Damien sat back down completely relaxed despite my obvious shock. “Does that matter? The children you help are getting better care….. aren’t they….”

I sprang up from my chair suddenly, overwhelmed by gratitude and confusion. “Mr. Locke…. I can’t even begin to thank you for what you’ve done, this is…. this is life-changing. You’ve made it possible for us to help so many more children, to provide real medical care, to…..

“Please…” he interrupted raising a hand to stop me. “Don’t thank me. I did this for the charity, for the children who needed it. Your gratitude, while appreciated isn’t necessary,”

But I couldn’t stop myself. The magnitude of what he had done was overwhelming. “There has to be some way I can repay you. I can show my appreciation for…..

“Do you have money?” He asked suddenly. 

I stared at him, shocked by a blunt question. “What? I….” 

Damien laughed, and the sound was warm and genuine.  “I’m sorry,  I’m just playing with you. Obviously if you had millions of dollars lying around, you wouldn’t have needed my help.”

Despite everything I found myself smiling at his unexpected humor. 

“So tell me,” he continued, “how does it feel to have this incredible facility? this place that can help so many more children than you ever imagine possible.” 

I sat down back, taking a moment to really think about his question. 

“It feels surreal, like a dream I might wake up from any moment, having a charity like this has been my dreams since I started this organization, I used to awake up at night, imagining what I could accomplish with proper resources with real medical facilities with enough space to help everyone who needed it.”

“And now you have all of that.”

“Thanks to you. Yes.”

Damien lean in slightly, his blue eyes intense. “Am I the one who made your dream come true?” 

I nodded still trying to process the enormity of all. “You are.”

“Good because I have a proposition for you, Sophia. I can make your orphanage not just successful, but legendary, can help you expand across the country. Create a network of facilities that could help thousands of children within a years, your name could be known in every major city.”

I paused, shocked by the scope of what he was suggesting. “How is that even possible?”

“If you work with me.”

“Work with you?”  The words came out as a whisper and he nodded. 

“Partner with my empire, let me provide funding strategic guidance, business expertise connections that could open doors you never even knew existed.”

I shook my head slowly. “I appreciate everything you’ve already done for me more than you could ever know, but I’m not in your line of work, I help Children, run a charity. I don’t know anything about corporate empire building.”

“That’s exactly why your work isn’t in my line of business, because you’re not well known yet, but that could change with the right support, the right connections, the right strategy, you could build something that reaches children across the entire country.”

I was quiet, trying to process what he was offering. it sounded incredible but also overwhelming and there was something about the way he was presenting it that made me cautious. 

“I assume Aiden never offered to help expand your charity.”

The name stride a chord and I felt the same ache in my heart that my body had come to recognize. 

“What?” My eyes widen in terror. 

“You know,” he said causally, removing an invisible dirt from his cloth. “I thought after you made your dream come true concerning your charity building, your next goal is to talk revenge on the man who had broken your heart… unexpectedly.” His voice dragged the last words and I found myself supporting my arms on the table so I won’t collapsed. 

“What did you want? How did you know?” The words barely escaped my lips. 

“You seemed to like asking question that will dragged conversation.” He paused standing up and circling me. “Your next question should be….how do we go about it.” He leaned closer and his voice dropped to a whisper.  “And my question will be, you can use me as the ladder to climb up, so you can deal with the man who make you homeless all because of loving him.”