Chapter 2 The man on the bridge

Lucy didn't know where she was going.

She only knew that she had to meet the man who had called her.

The night air was cold against her skin as she walked toward the bridge. Her shoes had become unbearable, so she carried them in her hands and continued barefoot. Every step reminded her of how far her life had fallen.

Just hours ago, she had believed she had a future.

Now, she had nothing.

No fiancé.

No family she could trust.

No money.

No degree.

And, worst of all, no idea how she was supposed to begin again.

When she finally reached the bridge, she noticed a black luxury car parked a short distance away. Two men in dark suits stood beside it, their expressions serious.

Lucy hesitated.

One of them looked at her.

"Lucy Johnson?"

She nodded slowly.

The man opened the car door.

"He's waiting for you."

Lucy swallowed and approached.

A middle-aged man stepped out of the vehicle. His clothes were expensive, his posture commanding, and there was something about him that immediately made Lucy uncomfortable.

She looked at him carefully.

"Are you the one who called me?"

"Yes."

His eyes moved over her.

"You must be Lucy Johnson."

"Yes."

The man didn't offer her a seat.

Instead, he studied her with an expression that made Lucy feel as though she were being judged.

"I know what happened between you and David."

Lucy froze.

"David?"

"Yes. My son."

Her heart seemed to stop.

She stared at the man.

"Who are you?"

"I am David's father."

Lucy could barely process the words.

Everyone knew David's mother. Everyone knew about her family.

But David's father?

No one had ever spoken about him.

"David told me he had a father," Lucy whispered. "But I never knew..."

"You weren't supposed to."

The man's voice was cold.

He told her that David's parents had been separated for years because of a serious family dispute. His mother had made choices that had caused a deep rift between them, and David had been caught in the middle.

Lucy listened in stunned silence.

Then the man reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope.

"Your relationship with my son is over."

Lucy looked at the envelope.

"What is that?"

"Compensation."

Her face changed.

"I don't want your money."

"You spent money on David. I know that."

Lucy stared at him.

"How do you know that?"

"I know more about your relationship than you think."

Her hands began to tremble.

The man pushed the envelope toward her.

"Take it. Consider it repayment for everything you spent on my son."

Lucy looked at the envelope as though it were an insult.

"How could David need my money if he has a father like you?"

The man's expression hardened.

"Don't confuse wealth with freedom, Lucy. My son has never had control over his own life."

She didn't understand.

Nothing made sense anymore.

She pushed the envelope back.

"I don't want it."

The man looked at her for several seconds.

"Then leave it."

He turned toward his car.

"And Lucy?"

She looked up.

"Do not contact David again. And don't come looking for this family."

The car pulled away, leaving Lucy standing alone beneath the darkness of the bridge.

She slowly turned toward the river.

The water moved quietly beneath her.

She thought about her sister.

About David.

About her family.

About every sacrifice she had made because she believed she was loved.

She had been so foolish.

She had given everything to people who had given her nothing.

Tears filled her eyes.

"What am I supposed to do now?" she whispered.

Across the bridge, another black vehicle had stopped.

Inside sat Richard Kaplan, the thirty-something CEO of one of the country's largest multinational companies.

Earlier that afternoon, Richard had received news that had changed his entire world.

His doctors had told him that his illness was progressing rapidly.

He might have only six months left.

Six months.

That was all.

He had spent the entire evening thinking about those words.

Then he saw her.

A young woman standing alone near the bridge.

Richard frowned.

"John."

His assistant turned toward him.

"Yes, sir?"

"Who is that?"

John looked through the windshield.

"I'm not sure, boss."

Richard kept watching her.

"She looks like someone who has lost everything."

John was silent.

Richard opened the car door.

"Let's go."

"Boss, where?"

"To her."

They hurried toward the woman.

But before they could reach her, Lucy disappeared from sight.

Richard's heart dropped.

"Lucy!"

He rushed forward.

A moment later, there was a loud splash below.

"Call emergency services!" Richard shouted.

John immediately pulled out his phone.

Richard didn't wait.

He moved toward the water and helped bring Lucy to safety.

Hours later, when Lucy finally opened her eyes, she found herself in an unfamiliar room.

The morning light spread softly through the curtains, touching the corners of the room.

She blinked several times, trying to understand where she was.

She looked around slowly.

"Where am I?"

The question hung in the silence.

Lucy tried to remember what had happened, but her mind was blank.

Who had brought her here?

And where was she?

She stared at the unfamiliar room, unaware that the answers to those questions were about to change her life forever.