Chapter 2

2

When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed. Both of my arms were in casts.

For a chef, a hand injury is a death sentence. I pushed down the rising panic and tried to sit up. I had to find a lawyer.

Waylon was my priority. I didn't have time to wallow in my own pain.

"Don't move. You have serious injuries and need to rest for at least a few months," a voice said.

A man in a sharp suit walked in, carrying a thermal lunch box. He gently pressed me back down onto the bed.

"Did you save me? Thank you, but I have an emergency. I need a lawyer. I'll pay you back later."

"A lawyer? Well, you're in luck. That's what I do," he replied with a small smile.

I froze, looking at him with desperate hope. "My brother is innocent. He was wrongly sentenced to three years. I want to appeal. Can you take the case?"

"Of course I can. Tell me everything from the start." The man pulled up a chair and sat down. "By the way, I'm Zion Sterling."

Zion agreed so readily that my eyes welled up. I had been drowning in stress for days, betrayed by my husband and beaten by thugs.

This was the first time I had felt kindness from a stranger.

I told him everything. When I finished, Zion slammed his hand on his knee, his eyes flashing with anger. "That is outrageous! This is a total miscarriage of justice."

"Don't worry. I'm taking this case."

I could tell Zion was an upright, honest man. He had an aura of integrity that made me want to trust him.

He proved it immediately. With one phone call, he contacted the university and arranged to review the evidence.

Zander had previously told me he had the evidence but wouldn't let me go to the school. He claimed the administration wanted to keep things quiet.

I had been a fool to believe him. I had lost precious time because of his lies.

With Zion, things were finally moving. He used his connections to get the surveillance footage. Even though it was grainy, it proved it was just a verbal spat and the other guy tripped on his own.

I followed him back to his office later that week. Watching him work seriously on the files made me feel a sense of peace I hadn't felt in years.

A stranger was doing more to save my brother than my own husband. Zander didn't give a damn if Waylon lived or died.

All those years of love I gave him were a total waste.

Suddenly, my phone rang. I answered it quickly, thinking it was news about the appeal.

"Miss Lyra Bennett? I'm calling from the correctional facility. Your brother, Waylon Bennett, suffered a severe depressive episode. He took his own life in his cell when the guards weren't looking."

The news hit me like a sledgehammer. Every ounce of hope I had left shattered into a million pieces.

My phone slipped from my fingers and hit the floor with a loud thud.

"What happened?" Zion asked, concerned.

I slumped onto the floor, tears bursting from my eyes like a broken dam. A crushing weight of grief settled on my chest, breaking my spirit.

"My brother is dead. He killed himself."

I clenched my fists and pounded my head with my bandaged arms. "I'm so useless! I couldn't even protect my only family!"

"Waylon, I'm so sorry. I failed you!"

I remembered the last thing he said to me in court. It hit me then―he wasn't just saying goodbye for the move. He was saying goodbye to life.

Zion didn't say a word. He just pulled me into his arms and held me tight. "He knew you tried your best, Lyra. He knew."

I stiffened for a moment, then buried my face in his chest and screamed. All the pain of the last few days finally exploded.

Because Waylon was a convicted felon, I wasn't allowed to see his body right away. In just twenty-four hours, my vibrant brother had been reduced to a jar of ashes.

Zion stayed by my side through all the paperwork. He didn't leave until the urn was safely in my hands.

I stared at the jar, hearing Waylon's voice echoing in my head. My heart was in shreds.

The silence of the funeral home was shattered by my phone ringing again.

"You're really dragging your feet, aren't you? Do you know what time it is? Where is the food?"

"I don't know why I ever married such a petty woman. I have to go to court with Sutton in an hour. Do you expect us to work on empty stomachs?"