Chapter 1: The Shattered Glass
The metallic crunch of the SUV’s headlight echoed down the rain-slicked city street, but for Arthur, the sound was drowned out by the storm inside his own chest. Standing before him in a suit that cost more than his entire town’s budget was Julian Sterling—a man whose face he had traced on a torn photograph every night before falling asleep.
Julian stepped out of the vehicle, his initial anger evaporating the moment his eyes locked onto the bruised, tear-streaked face of the eight-year-old boy. When Arthur thrust the battered, waterlogged photo forward, time seemed to freeze. The image showed a younger, smiling Julian holding a glowing woman and a newborn baby.
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""Olivia..."" Julian whispered, his hands trembling as he held the photo. The cold rain poured down, but Arthur felt an overwhelming surge of heat—a mix of rage and desperate hope. ""She’s still alive?"" Julian’s voice cracked.
Arthur gritted his teeth, tears cutting clean paths through the dirt on his cheeks. ""She’s in the ICU at Saint Jude’s. She didn't want me to find you, but she’s running out of time."" For eight years, Julian had believed the tragic car accident had taken both his fiancee and unborn son. Now, standing on a street corner, the weight of eight lost years crashed over him like a tidal wave.
