Chapter 1: The Night Everything Changed
Rain Rossi had no memory of her mother.The only thing she knew about Marina Rossi came from old photographs and the stories her father told her.According to Peter, Marina had a smile that could calm storms and a laugh that made everyone around her feel at home. She had died the day Rain was born, leaving behind a tiny daughter and a heartbroken husband.For years, Rain blamed herself.Not because anyone told her to.But because children often create explanations for pain they cannot understand.When she was seven years old, she had asked Peter the question she always carried in her heart."Did Mom die because of me?"Peter had frozen.Then he knelt in front of her and held her small hands."No, sweetheart. Your mother died bringing you into this world. But if she had the choice, she would do it all over again."Rain had cried that day.And Peter had cried with her.From then on, he made sure she never felt alone.He learned how to braid her hair after watching countless tutorials.He attended every school event.He embarrassed her by cheering too loudly during competitions.And every birthday, he bought her a cake and told her stories about Marina.For Rain, Peter was not just her father.He was her entire world.Their house wasn't large, but it was warm.Every evening, Peter would come home from work carrying groceries and asking about her day.Sometimes they ate dinner while watching old movies.Sometimes they argued over board games.Sometimes they simply sat on the porch and watched the rain fall.Those were Rain's favorite moments.The quiet ones.The moments when it felt like nothing bad could ever happen.As she grew older, however, she started noticing things.Her father took mysterious phone calls.Sometimes he disappeared for hours.Sometimes he came home exhausted and unusually quiet.Whenever she asked questions, he would smile and change the subject."Adult problems," he would say.Rain never pushed.She trusted him completely.At eighteen, she was preparing for university.Her future stretched ahead of her like an endless road filled with possibilities.And Peter seemed happier than he had been in years.At least, that's what he wanted her to believe.The truth was far more complicated.Late at night, after Rain had gone to sleep, Peter would sit alone in the kitchen.Stacks of papers covered the table.Bills.Documents.Names.Numbers.Problems.The kind of problems he never wanted his daughter to know about.One particular name appeared again and again.Zed Moretti.Each time Peter saw it, his expression darkened.Fear.Regret.Anger.It was impossible to tell which emotion was strongest.One evening, Rain entered the kitchen unexpectedly and caught him staring at those papers."What are you looking at?"Peter immediately gathered everything into a folder."Nothing important."Rain raised an eyebrow."You always say that."He forced a smile."And one day you'll stop asking."She laughed."Never."For a moment, Peter simply stared at her.His daughter.His greatest joy.The one person he would sacrifice everything for.A strange sadness crossed his face."If anything ever happens to me—"Rain groaned."Not this again.""I'm serious.""You're not going anywhere."Peter smiled softly."I hope you're right."She walked over and hugged him.He held her a little longer than usual.Neither of them knew it would be one of their last peaceful moments together.Outside, dark clouds gathered over the city.Elsewhere, powerful men were making dangerous decisions.Mistakes from the past were catching up.And a debt that had remained unpaid for years was about to be collected.Rain slept peacefully that night.She had no idea her life was about to change forever.No idea that before another sunrise, she would lose the only parent she had ever known.And no idea that a man named Zed Moretti was about to become the center of her nightmares.
