Chapter 1: Ashes in the Rain

Rain pounded the cemetery, washing the gravel paths into muddy rivers. Evelyn Harlow hunched under her useless black umbrella, teeth chattering as the last shovelfuls of dirt landed on her mother’s casket. The preacher had finished ages ago. Eve just couldn’t make herself walk away. Not yet.

Now it was just her. Nobody left.

Her mother, Marlene, fought cancer for three raw, endless years. It was more than enough time for the bills to bleed Eve dry—every dollar scraped from late-night diner shifts, gone. More than enough time to watch the woman who raised her—and Sophia—shrivel up in that tiny apartment, the air stinking of bleach and dread.

Sophia. The name alone stung.

She didn’t show up for the funeral. Eve hadn’t expected her to. Sophia vanished years back, off to her glossy new life with Alexander Voss. Yeah, that Alexander Voss—Forbes cover, billionaire, all of it. Last time Eve heard from her, Sophia was drunk, slurring accusations, calling her jealous. Like Eve ever wanted that life.

That was never it. She just wanted her sister. The one who used to whisper secrets in blanket forts, who swore they’d run away together.

But Sophia ran alone. And two years ago, she died—burned up in a fire that ripped through half the Voss estate. No body. Just ashes and scorched marble. The official story blamed faulty wiring. Tragic, right?

Eve never bought it.

She turned from the grave, heels sinking into the wet ground. The handful of mourners—some diner coworkers, a neighbor—had already disappeared. Only one person remained by the gate: a man in a dark coat, rain hiding his face.

He walked toward her as she reached her battered Civic, rainwater dripping from his umbrella.

"Evelyn Harlow?"

His voice was smooth, crisp. Didn’t sound local.

"Who’s asking?"

He handed her a business card—thick, expensive, the kind people keep. The letters stood up on the paper.

Dr. Kieran James, Private Consultant.

"KJ," he said, flashing a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. "I’ve got a proposition. Something that wipes out your debt. All of it."

Eve stared at the card. "Not interested in a scam—"

"It’s not a scam." He glanced around, lowered his voice. "It’s about your sister."

Her stomach flipped. "Sophia’s dead."

"Is she?" KJ tilted his head. "That’s what they say. But what if there’s a reason to doubt? What if I told you Alexander Voss would pay millions to prove she’s alive?"

Eve barked out a laugh—sharp, bitter. "You’re insane. The fire—DNA—"

"Ashes," he said, gentle but unyielding. "Charred remains. No real ID. And Sophia was… slippery. Always planning her exits."

Eve’s fingers dug into her keys. "So what do you want from me?"

KJ really looked at her then, sizing her up. "You look just like her. More than photos show. Same eyes. Same mouth. Practically twins."

She felt what he was suggesting, right in her gut.

"No," she snapped. "No way."

"Just think about it," he said. "One year. Pretend you’re the wife who survived. Say the trauma wiped your memory. Alex is desperate. He’ll pay for closure—or for her return. We split it. Half each. You leave that diner behind for good."

Eve’s stomach twisted. "That’s—no. That’s disgusting."

R

"It’s survival," KJ shot back, closing the distance. "Your mom’s bills, the funeral, the apartment hanging by a thread? This solves it all."

She wanted to tell him to get lost. Just drive away and forget.

But the weight of those bills pressed down, hard.

"How much?" The question slipped out before she knew she’d asked.

KJ’s smile widened, too bright. "Ten million. At least."

Eve closed her eyes. Rain hammered the umbrella above her.

When she opened them, the cemetery seemed smaller. Manageable, almost. Like she could finally walk away.

"Fine," she said. "Tell me everything.”