Chapter 1: The Door Slams Shut
The sound of heels echoing down the marble hallway felt louder than any scream.
Victoria Hale didn’t beg.
She didn’t cry.
But the moment the front doors of the estate slammed behind her, something invisible shifted inside the house—like a long-held lie had finally exhaled its last breath.
Inside, silence lingered.
The man in the black suit—Adrian Hale—stood frozen, his hand still resting protectively on the little girl’s shoulder. She was trembling, clutching the broken string of pearls like it was the only thing anchoring her to reality.
“What’s your name?” he asked softly.
“…Lily.”
May you like
The name hit him harder than anything else that night.
Because it was the name his mother used to whisper through tears… right before she died.
