Chapter 1

I kept ironing the baby's clothes, completely unfazed by Meghan Gregory's declaration of loyalty. "I know," I said.

Seeing how indifferent I was, irritation spread across Meghan's face. She wasn't used to me being so compliant.

After all, six months earlier, when photos of her passionately kissing a famous actor on a yacht had leaked, I had smashed an entire set of expensive antique porcelain and caused a citywide scandal.

She froze for a moment, then suppressed her inexplicable frustration and reached out to touch my face. "Ashton, you've finally grown up. I knew you were someone who understood the bigger picture."

I quietly stepped back, avoiding her outstretched hand. "I'll go to the kitchen to see if the chicken soup is ready."

Meghan's hand froze in midair, but she quickly withdrew it, her attention soon pulled away by Hector Manning.

In the kitchen, the pot bubbled steadily as steam rose from it. The hot steam hit my face, making my eyes misty. I stared blankly at the chicken soup, and the composure I had managed to maintain in the living room completely fell apart.

There had been a time when Meghan protected me the same way.

Back then, we still lived in Calder, and Meghan was an illegitimate daughter whose existence had been kept hidden from the public. To escape the pursuit of her dad's legal wife, her mom, Lucie Porter, had entrusted her to my family.

That winter had been especially cold. I had come down with a high fever and wanted some roasted peanuts from the south side of the town.

With no cars on the street, Meghan ran through the heavy snow for over ten miles. When she came back, her hands were bright red from the cold, but the peanuts she held against her chest were still warm.

Later, my parents died in a car accident. Holding me as I cried until I passed out, she swore, her eyes red, "Ashton, from now on, I'll be your family. I'll never leave you."

Now, we had a home. We lived in a mansion halfway up the hillside overlooking the entire Crescent Harbor. It was worth a fortune. Yet, the young woman who once had eyes only for me had disappeared into a world of Halston's luxury and excess.

When I walked out carrying the chicken soup, Hector was sitting at my desk, playing with the antique gold pendant my mom had left me. "Meghan, this pendant is so beautiful. Does it suit me?" he asked.

Meghan looked at him fondly. "If you like it, it's yours. Ashton has a large collection anyway. He won't miss this one."

I stopped in my tracks, my fingertips turning pale. That pendant was Mom's keepsake.

I walked over, my eyes turning cold. "This pendant is an old family heirloom. People say old pieces like that bring bad luck, so I'm worried it might bring misfortune to the baby Meghan is carrying.

"Mr. Manning, if you like jewelry, have Meghan take you to an auction another day and pick out something new."

Hector's expression stiffened. As if he had touched something cursed, he quickly set the pendant down. Meghan frowned slightly and pushed it further away, as though she found it distasteful.

In that instant, I caught the disgust flashing in her eyes. That pendant carried all of Mom's love and gentleness, and it had also witnessed Meghan's most difficult years.

When my parents were alive, they had never once treated Meghan poorly. But now that they were gone, even the keepsake they had left behind was treated like worthless junk.

My heart twisted with pain. I counted the days silently in my head. Only three days remained. I just had to endure three more days.