Chapter 1: Tragedy Strikes

As the cold winter air rushes through the quiet library, rustling pages of a few open books, Maryanne shivers, her body tightening up. She presses the start button on her key fob to make sure her car is running. Shaking the chill off, she releases her tied up hair from her dark scrunchie, allowing her pale locks to fall down around her shoulders. After running her hands through her hair, she pulls on a black beanie and shrugs on her winter jacket.

Maryanne sighs, dreading the walk from the door to her warm car. After she places the strap of her purse around her shoulders and tries to pick up her car keys with her gloved hands, she walks away from her desk.

"Have a good night," Jessica calls out to her, her glasses slipping down her thin nose as she looks up from her paperwork.

"You too. Don't stay too long." Maryanne smiles softly before bracing herself against the mid-January air.

She all but bolts to her warm Toyota, groaning out a sigh once she is out of the freezing wonderland. She shakes her entire body, trying to warm up.

"I hate winter," she mumbles taking off her gloves in order to grab her phone from her pocket. She has three missed calls.

"That's odd."

Maryanne only ever leaves it on silent while she is at work, but rarely will she ever receive a call, especially not three. As she clicks on the voicemail, another call from the same number pops up.

"Oh," she slides the answer button to pick up the call and brings the cold phone to her ear. "Hello?"

"Maryanne Johnson? This is Edward. I am from the Edenville Hospital." The smooth voice on the other end of the line trembles, and Maryanne can sense anxiety that reverberates through her own body.

"Is everything okay?"

A large stone forms in her stomach and only continues to grow. She swallows passed the lump in her throat as her heart begins to quicken and her mind races.

Who could it be? Who does she even know nearby? Most of her family is on the other side of the country.

"I am so sorry. I am calling because you are listed as the emergency contact for Miss Lucy Morgan."

Maryanne's entire body turns upside down, flopping. Her vision blurs as her mind shuts down.

"Miss Lucy was involved in a head on collision with a drunk driver. Her and her passenger were dead on impact," the voice, Edward, continues solemnly.

No, no. "This can't be happening," Maryanne whimpers. Tears stream down her cheeks, but she tries to bite her lip in order to control herself.

Her entire body vibrates with the grief wracking her chest. A sob seeps through her defenses. Her only friend. The only one that understand her. She is gone. What is she going to do?

One thought rushes through her mind even as her car shuts off and the cold winter bites at her soul, "Where is Riley?"

>><<

Maryanne holds down tears for the hundredth time that day, gripping her steering wheel. She stares up at the apartment complex before her. She is not sure she is ready to venture into their home. Their space. Since neither of them have much family nearby, she was asked by Lucy's mother if she could box up all of her things and send them to her. Her mother did not want to cross the threshold of their apartment.

Well, neither did Maryanne, but she couldn't say no to the grieving mother.

Pausing before she drives away, she grabs her phone on the passenger seat that has begun to vibrate violently. Blinking away her tears, she reads the name on her screen before answering.

"Hello?"

The voice that echoes through the phone is soft and kind, "Good morning, this is Dianne from Social Services."

"Oh, good morning, how are you?"

"I am doing great, how are you?"

"Oh, holding up," she swallows passed the lump in her throat.

Dianne continues, but now her voice is more gentle, careful. "I was just calling to see if you have some time this afternoon to come in and sign some paperwork? There is some information we have to go over as well."

Maryanne's heart skips a beat. That's right, she will be signing for Riley today. Hopefully she will be able to bring her home. "Yes, of course. I am off today. I can come in."

"Perfect. There are some issues we have to figure out," Dianne states.

"Like what?" What could be an issue in this situation?

"Your name is not the only one in the will."

What? "Really? Who else would be written in?

"Greg wrote that he wanted his cousin to take care of Riley."

"Who?"

Wait, did Greg have a cousin nearby? Yes, he did. Lucy mentioned him before. What was his name?

"Max Ryder, the maternal cousin of Greg Ryder."

Maryanne's heart drops as memories fill her mind.

Max Ryder.

The billionaire cousin that owns an expanding company and lives in an expensive penthouse in the city. The one that Maryanne went out with five years ago, but very briefly. The man that broke her heart. He is the one that Greg chose to take care of Riley?