Chapter 1
Abigail returned to college today after a long absence. Though her heart was far from healed, she forced herself to keep up appearances, desperate to hide her grief from the world. She is trying hard to focus on her book but the words are blurring because she's thinking about her family.It had been only fifteen days since her brother’s sudden passing, and her mother was still in the hospital, locked in a grueling battle for her own life.
Seeing his wife’s deteriorating condition and mourning the loss of his son, Abigail’s father kavin, was a man broken in both body and spirit. He was caught in a nightmare: on one side was the woman he loved more than life itself, fading away; on the other, the weight of his own grief and the slow collapse of the business he had spent his life building.
Her brother, Archie, had been the one managing everything while their father stepped back. With Archie gone, the business was rudderless, a ship sinking into the abyss. Abigail, who had grown up somewhat distant from her parents, felt helpless. She didn’t know how to comfort them. She knew that they work for Mafias , that's why she had never cared for the intricacies of her father’s business or the family's wealth, but seeing her father’s hollow eyes and shattered spirit, she knew she couldn't just stand by and watch them drown.
On the other side of the city, Leo sat anchored at his desk, his eyes fixed on the glow of his laptop. He looked every bit the man in control—sharp in black trousers and a crisp white shirt, layered with a black blazer and a loosened tie. Taking a long drag from his cigarette, he drifted into thought for a moment before a voice drifted in from the front.
"That's enough, baby. How much more are you going to work?"
He had almost forgotten she was even there. This was Erica, a famous model. They had been together for about two months. Leo kept her around because, unlike the others, she was convenient; she didn't ask questions, and even when she suspected he was with other women, she never demanded an explanation.
"You should go. I still have a lot of stress to deal with today," Leo said, his voice clipped.
"I’m here, aren't I? Let me take that stress away for you."
Leo didn't say a word. He simply offered a crooked, enigmatic smile. Taking the hint, Erica began to move toward him. But as she rounded the desk to get closer, the heavy office door suddenly swung open.
