Chapter 1 - The Unforgiven Past
The heavy glass doors of Northwood Elementary swung open.
Ethan Blackwood stepped into the fluorescent light of the main hallway.
He wore a tailored charcoal suit that screamed wealth and absolute power.
His dark green eyes scanned the corridor with the calculating precision of a predator.
I stood frozen behind the reception desk.
My heart hammered violently against my ribs.
Principal Davidson rushed forward with a welcoming, nervous smile.
"Mr. Blackwood, it is an absolute honor to have you here," she gushed.
Ethan did not even look at her.
His piercing gaze was locked entirely on me.
The air in the room suddenly felt incredibly thin and suffocating.
He walked slowly toward my desk, ignoring the principal entirely.
My hands shook as I gripped the edge of the wooden counter.
"Hello, Mariah," he said, his voice a deep, resonant rumble that sent chills down my spine.
He remembered my name.
After eighteen months of total silence, ignored emails, and unanswered calls, he actually remembered my name.
I swallowed the lump of fear and anger in my throat.
"Welcome to Northwood, Mr. Blackwood," I replied coldly, maintaining my professional facade.
I stepped out from behind the desk, clutching a clipboard to my chest like a physical shield.
"I am supposed to give you the grand tour of our facility," I stated without breaking eye contact.
Ethan tilted his head slightly, a dark, unreadable expression crossing his handsome features.
"You have not changed at all, Mariah," he murmured softly.
I wanted to scream at him for abandoning me, for leaving me alone to raise his son in a tiny, freezing apartment.
Instead, I turned on my heel and began walking down the hallway.
He followed closely behind me, his heavy footsteps echoing ominously on the polished linoleum floor.
His massive, heavily armed bodyguards trailed a few paces back, keeping a watchful eye on the empty school corridors.
"Why are you working as a school secretary?" Ethan suddenly asked, his tone laced with genuine confusion.
I stopped walking and spun around to face him.
"Because I have to pay my rent, Ethan, something you would not understand," I snapped bitterly.
He took a step closer, towering over me with an intimidating presence.
"I left you ten million dollars in a trust fund before I left," he stated with absolute certainty.
My entire world stopped spinning for a fraction of a second.
"What are you talking about?" I whispered in pure shock.
"I never received a single dime from you, nor did I ever receive a reply to my emails."
Ethan's jaw clenched so tightly I could hear his teeth grinding together.
He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his encrypted smartphone.
May you like
"Someone in my inner circle has been lying to both of us," Ethan growled dangerously.
Before he could dial a number, the front glass doors of the school exploded violently inward.
