Chapter 1

I edged the coin forward in my palm, hoping I could reach the lady in front of me and brush her hand. Natalie always said that if we came across anyone pitiful, we had to help them if we could.

The lady seemed to be dressed too thin for this weather, and there was a strange perfume clinging to her clothes. She had to be freezing, kneeling in the snow like that.

But the next second, she smacked the back of my hand, making pain shoot through me. The coin flew out of my fingers. I heard it bounce on the frozen concrete, each crisp ring echoing in the cold air.

Then, it rolled away with a hollow rattle before finally dropping with a sharp ding through the metal grate at the edge of the overpass.

"My money!"

Panic clawed up my throat as I scrambled across the icy ground on my hands and knees. Without that coin, I wasn't getting any hot buns to eat.

I groped my way to the drain, forcing my fingers into the narrow gaps of the grate. "My money fell in… That's for my food…"

The grate was caked with rust and jagged ice. It sliced open the backs of my hands and my fingers in an instant. I didn't feel the pain, though. All I could think about was that coin.

Natalie worked so hard sweeping the streets every morning. I couldn't lose the money.

"Colin Gibson, haven't you had enough of this farce?"

A gust of expensive perfume hit me a split second before a cold hand clamped brutally around my chin. The lady's grip was ironclad as she yanked my head up.

"Just how far are you willing to go to get back at me? Playing blind? Acting crazy? Crawling out here to beg for money? Your acting is so pathetic that it makes me sick!" she snapped.

I had no idea what she was talking about. My chin ached in her tight grip, and her nails dug into my skin. I couldn't see her, so I could only flail my hands in her direction, trying to shove her away.

"Let go of me, you nasty lady! You're trying to steal my money! You made me lose my money!"

I was so panicked that I broke down in sobs. Tears mixed with melting snow trickled into my mouth, the taste salty and bitter.

People on the sidewalk started to slow down.

"What the hell? She's all dressed up like that and bullying a blind, disabled person?"

"Tell me about it. She even slapped away the money someone gave him. That's just low."

"Call the cops. Look at that poor blind guy. His hands are bleeding."

Their muttering drifted straight into my ears. The fact that someone was standing up for me made me cry even harder. "Nasty lady! Give my money back!"

The lady must have felt completely humiliated. I heard her grind her teeth, her breathing suddenly turning heavy and harsh.

"Since you love putting on a show this much, Colin, I'll help you commit to the role. Take him away from here!" she snarled.

As soon as the word left her mouth, two large hands clamped down on my shoulders. Two strong men hauled me off the ground like I weighed nothing, like I was an animal being plucked up by the scruff.

"No! Help! I'm being kidnapped by traffickers!"

I lost it. I felt totally insecure, dangling in the air with my feet off the ground. I kicked wildly, and my pant legs rode up, the icy wind knifing against my skin.

There was a sharp collective hiss from the people around us. My legs—two withered, twisted calves that had never healed after being shattered three years ago—were fully exposed. They looked like two warped, dried-out branches.

The lady let out a cold snort. "Your props are pretty realistic. Throw him into the car!"

With a heavy thud, I was shoved into a car. The heat was blasting, and the air was thick with choking perfume. I was pinned down against the leather seats. I shook all over, still clutching my broken wooden cane like a lifeline.

"Natalie… I want Natalie…"

The lady sat beside me, her voice icy as she ordered, "To the hospital. I want to see how long he can keep up his act in this disguise."