CHAPTER 2

I stood in front of my parents’ door, my hand hovering in the air.

This was the last place I ever wanted to come back to. The last time I stood here, my father had made it very clear I was no longer his daughter.

I drew in a slow breath and knocked, hoping it would be Nina who answered. If my father opened the door instead, he might not even let me finish a sentence.

The door opened.

Nina stood there in her nightwear, her hair loose around her shoulders. For a moment she simply stared at me, clearly not expecting to see me standing outside the door at this hour.

“Nina.”

My knees gave way and I dropped in front of her.

“My son is in the hospital,” I rushed out before she could close the door. “He collapsed tonight. The doctors say he needs heart surgery immediately.”

Her expression remained blank.

“The surgery costs three hundred thousand dollars,” I continued, my voice shaking despite my effort to stay calm. “I know it’s a lot, but anything you can give will help. I swear I’ll pay you back. I’ll work every day of my life if I have to. I just need help saving him.”

Nina folded her arms and looked down at me.

Her gaze moved slowly over my face, my worn clothes, the humiliating sight of me kneeling in front of her.

Not a trace of concern crossed her face. If anything, she looked pleased.

“Well,” she sneered softly, “look what finally crawled back.”

I swallowed the insult and forced myself to stay where I was.

Her lips curled. “Remember how everyone used to go on and on about how beautiful you were?” She tilted her head, studying me like I was something unpleasant stuck to the bottom of her shoe. “Look at you now.”

“Please…” My voice came out hoarse. “He’s your nephew.”

“Why are you begging me for money when you’re married to Ruben?” she asked lightly. “Should I ask him for you when we meet tomorrow?”

She paused deliberately, watching my reaction, her smile slowly widening.

“Oops,” she added sweetly. “That came out wrong.”

Of course I already knew.

She was one of Ruben’s women. His reputation for keeping them was hardly a secret, and neither was how generous he could be with them.

That was the only reason I had come here tonight.

“Please,” I whispered, lowering my head. “I’m begging you. Even if you can’t give me everything… anything will help.”

She was quiet for a moment before letting out a small sigh.

“You know what,” she said slowly, “today must be your lucky day.”

Hope flickered weakly inside my chest.

“I’m feeling generous.”

She turned and disappeared back into the house.

I stayed on my knees and waited.

A minute later she returned with three one-dollar bills pinched between her fingers. She flicked them at my face. The bills fluttered to the ground between us.

I bent down and picked it up, my chest tightening painfully.

“Nina… please.”

She watched me with open satisfaction. “Consider it charity.”

“Even if you hate me, please think about him. He’s only five. He hasn’t even had the chance to live yet.”

Instead of answering, Nina suddenly raised her voice.

“Mom! Dad! Troy!”

I blinked in shock.

“You might want to see this.”

Footsteps sounded inside the house.

My father appeared first, and the moment he saw me his face darkened with anger.

“What are you doing here?” he demanded.

“Dad, please.” I pushed myself to my feet. “My son is in the hospital. He needs surgery and I need help.”

“You have some nerve coming back here.” My mother stepped forward, clearly irritated.

“You woke us up in the middle of the night for this nonsense?”

“Please,” I pleaded quietly. “I wouldn’t be standing here begging if there was any other way.”

My father’s expression hardened.

“I thought I made something very clear the last time you were here,” he said coldly. “You stopped being our daughter the moment you decided to disgrace this family.”

“Dad, please–”

“Troy.”

My brother stepped forward immediately and grabbed my arm.

“Wait!” I cried, trying to pull away. “Please just listen to me!”

But he was already dragging me across the porch.

“Troy, please,” I begged. “My son is dying!”

He shoved me down the steps without a word.

The door slammed shut behind me.

I remained where I was, staring at the door like it might open again.

When the burning behind my eyes finally settled, I pushed myself up, walked to my car, and drove away.

My hands tightened around the steering wheel as my mind raced.

Who else could I go to?

Jane? She was barely surviving on the same paycheck I was.

The road ahead blurred as the truth slowly settled in.

There was no one left.

“God!” I screamed into the empty night. “You can’t take him away from me!”

Lior was the only color in my life. The one bright thing in a world that had given me very little to smile about.

I kept driving, crying so hard I could barely see the road until my chest tightened and I struggled to breathe. I finally pulled over to the side of the road.

For several minutes I sat there with my forehead resting against the steering wheel, trying to steady the storm inside my head.

When I finally lifted my head to breathe, my eyes drifted toward the massive billboard across the street.

Bright lights illuminated a familiar face.

Below it, bold letters announced:

MASON HAYES

HAYES LUXURY HOTEL GRAND OPENING

My eyes locked on the face staring down from the billboard, and my heart lurched.

It was Mason. Lior’s father.