In one of the tallest skyscrapers of a modern metropolis, where glass reflects the clouds and life seems too distant and soulless, there lived a man named Maksim. He was a millionaire—not just rich, but incredibly successful, one of those self-made men: he started from nothing and in ten years built an empire in the technology sector.
But behind the facade of success hid a deep loneliness.
His home was on the top floor of the tower, overlooking the city that never sleeps. Every night he looked at the lights, listened to the silence piercing his heart, and felt a void that could not be filled by money, parties, or even the most exotic travels.
He was alone. And the worst part—he had long stopped seeking company.
Until one day he came across information about a woman named Katya.
Katya was a mystery. Her photographs were striking: long dark hair, eyes you could drown in, and a smile capable of awakening even the coldest emotions. But she attracted attention not just by her beauty. They said she would die within a year if treatment didn’t help. They said she used to work somewhere in the shadows of business but had left that world. They said she was not afraid of death because she had already lost everything.
And it was exactly this—her courage, charisma, and awareness that time was limited—that inspired Maksim’s thought: “Maybe I should hire her? Just for a while. As entertainment. To at least feel what it’s like to be alive?”
Chapter 1: The First Look
Katya came to his office in a strict black dress, with a book under her arm. She didn’t ask for money, didn’t humiliate herself, didn’t play the role of a lapdog. No. She sat opposite him, placed her hand on the table, and said:
— I know why you called me. But if you think I’ll be your toy—forget it. I can be a friend, a partner, even inspiration. But not an object.
Maksim was stunned. He expected something completely different. He expected her to flatter, to use his money as a shield. But Katya… she looked at him as an equal. As if she knew he was lonely too.
He agreed. Without a contract. Just a word. And an agreement: she stays until he finds what he is missing.
Chapter 2: Learning Life
Days turned into weeks. Katya became part of his world. She took him to private galleries, learned to cook with him, made him laugh by telling stories from her past. Sometimes they just sat on the roof of the tower, watching the sunset and talking about everything—from childhood to the meaning of existence.
— You know, — she said one day, — people spend years making millions, but never learn how to live one day so that it’s worth a whole life.
Those words stuck in his head. They became his new motto.
Katya taught him to enjoy the little things: the taste of morning coffee, the rustle of autumn leaves, the first snow, the chime of a doorbell in a small bookstore. She showed him that the world is not just numbers, deals, and power.
The more time they spent together, the less Maksim wanted her to leave.
But the closer their relationship grew, the more he felt Katya was hiding something important.
Chapter 3: The Past Catches Up
One evening, as they stood on the roof, sitting on the floor, holding each other, and looking at the stars, Katya suddenly froze.
— What’s wrong? — Maksim asked.
— We’re not alone, — she replied quietly. — They found me.
At first, he didn’t understand. Then he heard footsteps. Six people. Hidden in the shadows. One of them slowly approached and said:
— I’ve been looking for you for a long time, Katya. Let’s finish this.
Maksim felt his heart stop. He wasn’t ready for this. He wasn’t a warrior. He was a businessman who had solved problems with money all his life.
But Katya…
She stood up. Not afraid. Not cornered. But confident. As if she knew this moment would come.
— Leave, or I’ll do it again.
Her voice sounded cold and final.
The bandits didn’t expect resistance. They moved toward her. But Katya was faster. More prepared. She grabbed one by the hand, twisted it, knocked the second down with a kick, snatched a knife from the third, and pointed it at the leader.
Maksim stood in shock. Before him was not the fragile girl he had hired for entertainment. He saw a warrior. A woman who knows the value of life and death.
In the end, everyone left. Some wounded, some just fled. Katya stood, breathing heavily, blood on her hands. And said:
— Sorry you had to see this.
Chapter 4: Heart and Truth
That night they didn’t sleep. They talked until dawn. Katya told him everything.
About her past in the shadow world. About betrayal. About how she escaped. How she ran. How she hid. And how the illness became not a sentence but a reminder: you have to live now.
Maksim listened without interrupting. His heart tightened with pain for her. With admiration for her. With a love he hadn’t expected to feel.
— Why did you stay with me? — he asked.
— Because you were lonely, like me. Because you needed what I could give. And because… I got curious about living next to you.
— And now?
— Now I’m scared. Not for myself. For us.
Chapter 5: Love That Changes
After that incident, Maksim changed. He sold most of his assets, handed over management to trusted people. He appeared less often in business circles and more often in life. He started helping charities, opening support centers for people with serious diagnoses. He began to live.
Katya… she began treatment. Together. They went through every stage. He was there when she was sick. When she lost strength. When she doubted. He became her support.
And although doctors gave little chance, she fought. For herself. For him. For the chance to be with the person she loved.
Epilogue: The Roof of the World
Two years later they stood again on the roof of the same tower. Evening. Sunset. The city was glowing below.
— Do you remember our first conversation? — Katya asked.
— Of course. I thought you’d be my entertainment. But you became the meaning of my life.
She smiled. Kissed him.
— Sometimes fate plays strangely. Gives us gifts in the form of pain. So we learn to appreciate joy.
— I love you, — Maksim said.
— I know. And I love you.
And in this city full of chaos, loneliness, and speed, two souls found each other. Not perfect, but real. Not eternal, but alive.