Chapter 1

Diva's point of view 

I stood frozen in a dim hallway of the hospital, my eyes locked on the relentless red light blinking above the surgical ward, each flash hammering into my chest like a cruel reminder of how close I was to losing her.

Tears spilled freely, hot and unrestrained, as I thought of my mother lying helpless inside that room. My strong, beautiful mother, now reduced to a fragile shadow of herself.

The weight of unpaid bills trembled in my hands, each one a dagger to my pride. Paper stacked high, spelling out a truth I couldn’t escape: I was powerless. Vulnerable. Helpless.

My dream of becoming an actress, once my only escape, my only fire, was turning to ashes before my very eyes. With every passing second, it slipped further from reach, smothered under the crushing burden of survival.

My world was collapsing, brick by brick, and I couldn’t stop it.

Then—

A voice broke through the fog of my despair.

“Diva.”

I spun around, my heart skipping. The doctor stood there, his face drawn, his tone clipped and heavy.

“Meet me in my office,” he said, and walked away without another glance. His footsteps echoed like a verdict.

I knew exactly what awaited me behind that door.

It was about my mother’s dialysis. Her operation. Her last chance.

The words I dreaded most were already burning into my chest before he even spoke them: Provide the money… or take her home to die.

My knees buckled, and I leaned on the wall for support, whispering a broken prayer.

Good Lord… why her? Why now?

I knew how impatient Dr. Luke could be and how a single command from him could seal my mother’s fate, dragging her closer to an early grave or pulling her back from the edge. That thought alone made my pulse quicken.

My heart thundered, my palms slick with sweat, and tears threatened to blind me as I rushed toward his office. Every step felt like I was walking into a storm I couldn’t escape.

At the doorpost, I froze. My hands trembled violently, but somehow I lifted them and knocked.

“Come in,” came his sharp, clipped tone—unyielding, unforgiving.

I pushed the door open, stepping inside on shaky legs, and lowered myself into the chair opposite him. My body trembled so hard I could barely keep still.

Dr. Luke’s cold eyes fixed on me, his voice slicing through the silence like a blade.

“Are you with the money for her dialysis?”

My heartbeat faltered, once, loud, painful.

Shame burned in my chest. I had tried. God knows I had tried, working, borrowing, begging—but the amount was far beyond me. Too much for my fragile hands to carry. In the end, I hadn’t even managed a tenth of what was needed.

And now, staring at him, I felt the crushing weight of failure pressing down, choking me.

“Please… give me more time,” I whispered, swallowing the heavy lump that lodged in my throat. My voice cracked, raw and desperate.

“More time?” Dr. Luke barked, his eyes narrowing like daggers.

“Please…” I begged again, my words breaking apart like shattered glass.

“Leave my office. Now.” His command cut me off so sharply I almost stopped breathing.

I blinked, stunned. Did he mean it? Was he going to tell me to take my mother home to let her die?

“Sir, I—”

“I said leave my goddamn office now!” His thunderous roar shook through me, leaving me no choice. I shot up from the chair, my knees weak, my chest aching.

I staggered to the door, each step heavy with dread. My hand trembled as I twisted the handle and pulled it open only to collide with someone on the other side.

I stumbled back, startled, my eyes lifting to a tall, imposing figure in a black suit. He was handsome, too handsome for a man who carried such an intimidating presence. His gaze was sharp, almost burning, and it made my breath hitch.

“Hey, watch it,” he warned, his voice low and commanding.

But I couldn’t speak. Couldn’t even breathe. My fear of Dr. Luke’s fury, of losing my mother, drowned out everything else. Without a word, I slipped past him, my heart hammering in my chest, and hurried back down the corridor toward the ward toward my fragile mother.

Every step echoed with one thought, pounding like a curse in my mind: What if Dr. Luke comes for her? What if he ends it all?

With tears streaming down my face, I moved closer to where my mother lay, her breaths shallow and fragile. My chest ached as I studied her pale face, the woman who had always been my strength now lying so helpless before me.

“No…” I choked out, my voice trembling with defiance. “I’m not going to watch her die like this. I won’t.”

The memory of last year’s tragedy ripped through me, the day I lost my father and brother in that ghastly accident. That was the day I vowed I would never forget.

A day that shattered the bridge to my dreams and ambitions.

The man who had promised to sponsor my career as an actress, the very man who held the key to my future was torn away from me by the fierce, merciless hands of death.

The wound still bled inside me, every heartbeat a reminder of what was stolen from me. I couldn’t bear to lose her too. Not her. She and my little sister, Tilda, are all I have left in this cruel world.

I clenched my fists, a vow burning in my chest. I will do whatever it takes to save her. Whatever it takes.

Wiping the tears from my cheeks, I turned to leave—only to freeze in my tracks.

A tall, imposing figure stood in the doorway, his presence filling the room like a storm.

My breath caught. “Oh my…” I whispered under my breath.

It was him. The same man I had collided with at Dr. Luke’s office.

But why… why was he here?