Chapter 2

Losing my parents was only the beginning of our nightmare. What came afterward made everything even more miserable.

My father had built an empire. He was a business mogul, and my mother owned one of the largest entertainment companies in Los Angeles. Eventually, their companies merged, creating a fortune that should have belonged to my sisters and me.

That was our inheritance.

Yet not a single dollar was given to us.

After our parents died, our aunt took us to the countryside and left us with our grandmother, as though we were burdens she no longer wanted to carry. A few years later, our grandmother passed away too.

From that moment on, we were completely alone.

I raised the twins by myself.

I dropped out of high school and worked endlessly to make sure June and July had everything they needed. I became their mother, their father, their older sister, and their best friend.

I never had a life of my own.

There was no college, no friendships, no dreams, and certainly no future.

There were only responsibilities

It was just us.

The Mallway sisters and our old cabin.

“Athena, what do you think I should wear?”

June’s voice echoed through the house.

“June, it’s a beach party. Wear what girls wear to the beach,” July replied from the dining table.

I chuckled softly from the kitchen as I served breakfast.

“There is absolutely nothing suitable for a nineteen-year-old to wear in this house!” June groaned dramatically.

“That’s not true,” I said, placing their plates in front of them.

“She wants to dress like a slut because her boyfriend is going to be there,” July teased.

“He is not my boyfriend!”

“Well, he is the only reason you’re going to the beach party. Am I right?”

“That’s enough, girls.” I shook my head. “June, you can borrow something from my wardrobe. I’m sure I have something perfect.”

June dropped into her chair with a dramatic sigh.

“You’re thirty-two. I’m nineteen. There is no way you own anything a nineteen-year-old would wear to the beach.”

I laughed.

“Well, I tried to help.”

I turned and headed toward my room.

“Where are you going?”

“Aren’t you eating?”

The twins asked at the same time.

“I have to be somewhere. It’s urgent.”

I changed into a neat outfit and tied my hair into a bun.

“I need to catch the morning bus to town. I’ll see you both later.”

Blowing them kisses, I hurried out the door.

The bus station was far from our cabin, and my only means of getting there was on foot.

The burns I had suffered sixteen years ago left scars on my body, and although I never returned to gymnastics, I never stopped running.

I ran to survive.

I ran to provide for my sisters.

And today, I ran toward the opportunity that could change everything.

“Stop the bus! Stop the bus!”

I shouted as I sprinted after it.

The bus finally halted, and I climbed aboard, breathless.

“Athena, why are you always late?” Mr. Jacobs asked with a smile.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Jacobs.”

I collapsed into my usual seat and took a deep breath, resting my head against the window.

As the bus moved through town, my eyes landed on a beautiful blue dress displayed in a boutique window.

It was stunning.

The kind of dress I once would have dreamed of wearing.

The kind of dress that reminded me there was a woman inside me who had long been forgotten.

But I couldn’t afford luxuries.

Every penny I earned was being saved for the twins’ college tuition.

A wave of sadness washed over me.

I remembered my father’s promises.

He had always sworn that we would never lack anything. That he would give us the world if he could.

But he never had the chance to keep those promises.

His life had been stolen from him.

Brutally.

And in his absence, my own dreams were buried alongside him.

My life had become an endless cycle of work and sacrifice. Joy was a distant memory. I had grown so accustomed to pain that I no longer knew how to feel anything else.

Sometimes I barely recognized myself.

How had the bright, energetic girl I once was become this exhausted woman, trapped in an aging cabin with nothing but grief and anger to keep her company?

“Athena, this is the last stop.”

Mr. Jacobs’ voice pulled me from my thoughts.

“Oh. Thank you, Mr. Jacobs.”

I wiped the tears from my cheeks and stood.

As I stepped off the bus, he leaned out of his seat.

“Honey, are you eating properly? You look too thin, and your skin is pale.”

Mr. Jacobs had known me since I was eighteen. He had helped me get my first decent-paying job and had looked out for me ever since.

Every time he saw me, he said the same things.

You look pale.

You need to eat better.

Sleep more.

Take a break.

You have a life too.

And every time, I gave him the same weak smile.

“I’m fine.”

The city was as busy and chaotic as ever.

Years ago, I used to dream of owning one of the largest houses in Los Angeles.

Now, it felt like nothing more than a childish fantasy.

Still, I allowed myself to dream.

To imagine that one day life would get better.

That I would not die miserable.

“There’s my favorite person in the world.”

I turned at the sound of Blake’s voice.

He walked toward me with his usual bright smile and two cups of coffee in his hands.

Blake and I had known each other since we were teenagers.

He had been there before the tragedy.

And unlike everyone else, he stayed after.

He was the only family friend who never abandoned us.

Over the years, he had helped my sisters and me in more ways than I could ever repay.

Especially me.

“You don’t look very excited to see me,” he teased.

“I’m just exhausted from my night shift.”

His smile widened.

“Well, I have good news.”

My heart skipped.

“I got you the job.”

I stared at him.

“You’re officially his personal assistant.”

My mouth fell open.

“What?”

I grabbed his arm.

“You got me the job? Really? Oh my God, Blake!”

The excitement burst out of me before I could stop it. I jumped into his arms, laughing for the first time in what felt like forever.

“I told you to leave it to me,” he said proudly.

I pulled back, still breathless.

“Now what? When do I start?”

He took my hand and led me toward his car.

My heart pounded as I tried to process what had just happened.

Months ago, I had begun putting together my revenge plan.

A plan to reclaim what belonged to my family.

A plan to uncover the people responsible for my parents’ murders.

And in my search, I discovered one devastating truth.

My father’s empire had been taken over by the El Camino family.

Everything he had built and that should have been ours.

Now it was controlled by their eldest son.

Dexter El Camino.

My new boss.