CHAPTER 1: THE BLACK SUV AND A BURIED TRUTH
The screech of tires sliced through the wet street, splitting the corner in two.
A black SUV pulled up hard against the curb, engine still running. The air seemed to freeze as a man stepped out.
He wore a dark gray suit and a long coat. His walk was rushed, yet controlled—clearly someone who didn’t belong in a poor street like this.
But what froze Lena wasn’t his appearance.
It was his eyes.
Those eyes were locked onto the little girl.
“Evelyn!” the man called out, his voice shaking despite his effort to stay calm.
The girl in Lena’s arms went stiff.
The hotdog fell from her hands.
“No…” she stepped back, eyes wide with fear. “No, I don’t want to go back…”
Lena froze.
“Wait—who are you?” she asked, instinctively shielding the child behind her.
The man stopped, breathing heavily.
“I’m her father.”
In that moment, everything shattered.
May you like
The girl’s name was Evelyn.
And she wasn’t a homeless child.
