Chapter 1 - The Face of the Past
The silence in the marble bathroom was completely deafening.
I knelt on the cold floor, staring at the crescent moon birthmark on the billionaire's chest.
My fingers trembled as I lightly touched the silver chain hanging around his neck.
Twenty years ago, I gave that exact necklace to a boy named Leo during a terrifying thunderstorm.
Leo had promised to come back for me, but he vanished without a single trace.
Now, the man the world knew as Julian Bennett was staring down at me with absolute shock.
His cold, arrogant facade crumbled completely in an instant.
"Claire," he whispered, his voice thick with raw emotion.
My heart hammered wildly against my ribs as I realized he actually remembered me.
"You were supposed to be dead," I choked out, tears instantly blinding my vision.
Julian grabbed my wrist with a grip that was shockingly strong for a paralyzed man.
"I had to die so that the people hunting me wouldn't kill you too," he confessed.
He pulled me closer, his eyes darting frantically toward the heavy oak door of the bathroom.
"I arranged for you to be hired today because I finally have enough money to protect you," he explained.
I could not believe he had orchestrated this entire humiliating job interview just to bring me here.
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Before I could demand more answers, a tiny red laser dot appeared directly on Julian's chest.
The bathroom window exploded inward in a terrifying shower of shattered glass.
