Chapter 1

I am dead.

My son, the child I had with Silas Sterling, was left all alone in the city of Chicago.

It happened because I made a complete fool of myself at that high-society gala, screaming and causing a scene.

Silas had finally reached his limit and decided to divorce me.

What he didn't know was that I was out of time. My clock had run out.

1

At the busy Chicago Greyhound station, little Andy dragged his short legs, struggling to climb onto the bus.

I could only watch, a weightless spirit floating in the air.

Where was he going all by himself? Was he really trying to find his father?

My heart hammered against a chest that no longer beat as I watched the crowded, bustling terminal.

He was only five years old. What if something happened to him?

Fortunately, Andy was lucky. Despite the stumbles and the scary crowds, he eventually made it to the towering headquarters of Sterling Global.

He stood by the glass doors, his small face filled with helplessness and hesitation. He paced back and forth for hours, too terrified to step inside.

By the time Silas walked out of the building at the end of the day, Andy was huddled near a trash bin.

He had found a piece of half-melted candy in his pocket and was eating it greedily.

He chewed slowly, even licking the sticky sugar off his dirty fingers.

When Silas appeared, Andy scrambled to his feet.

A tiny, barely audible whisper left his lips. "Daddy..."

But Silas didn't hear him. He didn't even look his way.

His eyes were cold as he walked straight toward his waiting town car.

I screamed from the air, desperate and silent. "Andy, go to him! That's your father! Go to your daddy!"

Our divorce had been ugly, and Silas hated me with a passion. But now that I was gone, he was the only family Andy had left in this world.

Andy seemed paralyzed by Silas's intimidating, icy aura. He stood there like a statue, too afraid to move a muscle.

The car engine roared to life. Suddenly, Silas's assistant, Liam, noticed something moving near the trash.

He didn't know the boy was his boss's son. He was just being observant. "Mr. Sterling, look at that kid over there."

Silas glanced over and saw a filthy, disheveled child standing in the shadows of the alley.

His brow furrowed in immediate disgust. I knew that look. His germaphobia was kicking in.

My spirit trembled. I started praying to a God I wasn't sure was listening. "Silas, please. Recognize him. Take Andy home."

"I'm begging you. Whatever happened between us is our business. Don't take it out on our son."

Silas turned his head away with a look of pure indifference. "Drive," he commanded.

Liam wanted to say something more, but seeing Silas's darkening expression, he shut his mouth and pulled the car away.

I was frantic. I hovered beside my son. "Andy, run! Chase the car! This is your last chance!"

But Andy couldn't hear me. He stood frozen, his small hand tightly gripping something I had given him.

The sun was setting. I had no idea what would happen to a five-year-old alone on the streets of Chicago at night.

Terror gripped me. If I could still cry, I would have been blinded by tears.

Just as I thought all hope was lost, Silas's car suddenly pulled a U-turn and came back.

Liam stepped out of the vehicle and slowly approached Andy.

He knelt down, using his most gentle voice. "Hey there, kiddo. What's your name?"

Andy answered in a trembling voice. "Andy Su."

"His last name is Su?" Liam looked genuinely surprised.

He walked back to the car to report to Silas.

"Sir, the boy's last name is Su. Just like hers."

Silas's sharp gaze cut through the window, scanning Andy from head to toe.

His eyes locked onto Andy's clenched fist. Inside was the only thing I had left the boy―a small, silver heirloom locket.

Silas's face went pale, then dark with a sudden, violent emotion.

"Get him in the car," he barked.

Andy climbed into the backseat, curling himself into the smallest ball possible. He kept his hands and feet tucked in, terrified of getting the expensive leather dirty.

Silas sat right next to him, but the space between them felt like a canyon.

It was obvious he didn't like the boy.

To him, Andy was just a reminder of a woman he despised.

But as the head of the Sterling empire, he couldn't just leave his own blood roaming the streets.