Little Girl Told The Millionaire, “Mom Said I Must Keep It Secret.” He Froze At The Truth…

the little girl approached the Mogul and whispered mom said I had to keep a big secret

which completely unsettled the wealthy man but when she presented this item the Mogul immediately scooped her up and hurried away

in New York City where skyscrapers often overshadow the sun Arthur Sterling was considered a king without a crown

he was seated at his customary secluded table in the corner of Le Monarch completely shielded from the external clamor by thick

soundproofed glass panels on the chilly marble surface

Arthur guided his costly fountain pen across a hefty stack of paperwork

it was the decision to wind down a subsidiary company that was underperforming one swift

neat signature and 500 employees would be receiving their termination notices

the next morning to Arthur people were no different from figures

on a financial statement if they didn’t generate a return they had to be phased out

Marcus Arthur’s chief of security stood with his arms crossed by the entrance to the VIP area

the imposing man with a faint Mark tracing down his neck rarely spoke he simply observed

the former operative’s keen eyes scanned the busy flow of people battling the blizzard outside

then suddenly fixed on an anomaly a tiny figure clad in a tattered

faded pink winter jacket was trying to squeeze through the gap of the revolving door which was stuck due to the high winds

Lily slipped into the restaurant lobby bringing with her the bone chilling cold of a Manhattan winter

her appearance was like a splash of ink on a flawless canvas her soaked worn canvas shoes left dark

wet smudges on the polished floor and the musty smell of her clothes

immediately clashed sharply with the expensive perfumes of the affluent clientele

the restaurant manager frowned signaling with his eyes to two wait staff

they understood instantly and moved with smooth coordination forming a pincer formation

to block the unwanted visitor’s path and safeguard the dining experience of their

esteemed patrons but Lily wasn’t here to ask for handouts

she didn’t hold out her hand nor did she cower in fear seeing the two tall men approaching

Lily darted left then threaded through the space between them with the nimbleness of a stray kitten

accustomed to evading capture on the streets her gaze wasn’t on the steaming hot plates of food

it was locked onto the man sitting alone in the glass walled corner the manager lost his patience

he took a long stride and reached out to gently take Lily by the shoulder before she could cause a distraction

for their most important VIP Arthur looked up

he raised a single index finger into the air that small yet authoritative

gesture seemed to freeze the entire room the manager halted his hand suspended midair

then quickly retreated bowing apologetically Arthur wasn’t looking at him

he was staring intently at the smudged little girl standing before him her blue eyes were fixed on him unblinking

they were the spitting image of his own eyes when he looked in the mirror each morning but instead of emptiness

they held a sense of profound unease he had never experienced

Arthur nodded slightly to Marcus the massive security man immediately stepped aside

clearing the path for the girl Lily walked up to the table her quick breaths forming thin

white puffs of vapor in the restaurant’s warm air Arthur set his pen down

expecting a plea or a usual tale of hardship are you Arthur Sterling

her voice was shaky but clear with none of the hesitation of a child seeking spare change Arthur raised an eyebrow

leaning back into the soft leather chair I don’t buy sweets and this is not a charity spot kiddo

Lily shook her head vigorously the undissolved snowflakes in her messy blond hair drifting onto her jacket shoulder

she reached into her pocket clutching something as if it were a treasure I’m not selling anything

I heard people say you have a lot of money you can get anything in the world right

so Lily swallowed trying to hold back the trembling that ran down her spine

she looked straight into Arthur’s eyes making an offer that stunned the cold Mogul

I have two bucks I wanna trade for a safe place Arthur was silent he looked into the painfully

determined eyes of this six year old sensing a small crack had just formed on the icy wall

around his heart he was about to ask another question when Lily suddenly pulled herself inward

her face drained of color she wasn’t looking at him anymore

her eyes were wide with concern fixed on the area behind Arthur where the soundproofed glass

separated them from the outside world Arthur turned his head

outside in the white snowstorm a large woman heavily hooded was pressing her face against the glass

she was pounding on the window with both hands her mouth yelling furious shouts that no one inside could hear

the persistent thumping against the glass behind Arthur continued like the insistent call of a bad dream

demanding entry into reality Arthur did not turn back

he simply nodded slightly toward Marcus the security man understood immediately

with a decisive action Marcus pulled the heavy velvet curtain completely concealing the large window

the silhouette of the agitated woman outside vanished behind the fabric

and the screaming was also silenced the world inside Le Monarque

returned to its inherent quietude leaving only Lily’s rapid breathing

once the shadow was no longer visible Lily released her grip from her head

she pulled out a worn plastic container from the ripped lining of her jacket it was the kind of inexpensive

food storage container people usually discard after one use and the lid had a long crack

the little girl pushed the container letting it slide across the slick marble table toward Arthur

I don’t have much but this is all I can offer Arthur looked at the container

sitting awkwardly between the gleaming silver utensils he opened the lid