The Kahuna residence had barely settled into its usual rhythm when the sound of another vehicle approaching the gates caught Steven's attention. He was in the nursery again. Jennifer had begun teasing him that he practically lived there now. Their little girl was asleep in her crib, surrounded by the mountain of gifts Elias had brought. The enormous teddy bear stood beside the crib like a silent bodyguard. Steven had just finished adjusting the baby's blanket when he heard the doorbell. He glanced toward the hallway. "I'll get it." Jennifer, who was resting on the sofa downstairs, smiled. "Steven, you don't have to answer every door." "I know." "But you're going to anyway." "Yes, I am." She laughed. A moment later, the front door opened. Steven's face immediately broke into a smile. "Princewill." Princewill stood there with Cassandra beside him. Both were carrying gifts. Cassandra was practically glowing with excitement. "Where is she?" Stev

Jackson Milton discovered very quickly that prison had its own language. It wasn't spoken with words. It was spoken through prolonged stares, deliberate silence, the scrape of shoes against concrete, the sudden stopping of conversations when someone entered a room. It was spoken through the way men watched one another, measuring weakness, testing boundaries, deciding who could be pushed and who should be left alone. And Jackson had arrived carrying a weakness that everyone could see. He had once been rich. He had once been powerful. He had once been a Milton. Now he was an inmate with a number on his chest. The name on his prison file meant more here than the surname he had spent his entire life protecting. That first night, Jackson barely slept. He sat on the edge of his narrow bunk, elbows resting against his knees, staring at the floor while the sounds of Blackridge Penitentiary surrounded him. Somewhere down the corridor, a man was shouting. Another prisoner la

Jackson's brow furrowed. "Who are you?" The man motioned toward the chair. "Sit." "I asked who you are." "I know." "Then answer me." The man's smile disappeared. "I knew your father." Jackson froze. "My father?" The stranger nodded. "Your biological father." Silence. Jackson slowly sat down. "That's impossible." "No." The man's voice was calm. "It's not." Jackson stared at him. "My father was Harry Milton." "Your adoptive father." The words landed heavily. Jackson's jaw tightened. "You don't know what you're talking about." "I know exactly what I'm talking about." The stranger leaned back. "I knew the man who gave you life." Jackson stared at him, disbelief battling with curiosity. "What was his name?" The stranger hesitated. "Daniel." Jackson's expression changed. "Daniel what?" "Daniel Hale." The name meant nothing to him. "Who was he?" The stranger looked away for a moment. "Not a good man." Jackson gav

"People who used gambling establishments to move money." Jackson froze. "Illegal money?" "Yes." Jackson slowly leaned back. "And my father was involved?" "For a time." "What did he do?" "Enough to make powerful enemies." Jackson's mind raced. "Was he murdered?" Elias didn't answer. Jackson's voice cracked. "Was he?" Elias finally looked him directly in the eyes. "I don't know." Jackson slammed his hand against the table. "You came here to tell me about him! You said you knew him!" "I did." "Then how can you not know how he died?" "Because by the time I found out, he was already gone." Jackson's breathing became heavy. "What were you to him?" Elias hesitated. "A friend." Jackson stared at him. "A friend who waited decades to find me?" "I didn't know where you were." "You knew Harry?" "Yes." Jackson froze. "You knew Harry?" Elias nodded. "Harry knew Daniel." "How well?" "Well enough to know that taking you away from

Dianna looked down at their son. "Yes." She handed him the phone. "Say hello to Daddy." Leo took it with both hands. "Daddy?" Jackson's breath caught on the other end. "Hey, buddy." Leo smiled immediately. "Daddy! Where are you?" Jackson closed his eyes. "I'm somewhere I have to stay for a while." "Why?" Dianna's eyes filled with tears. Jackson was silent for several seconds. "Because Daddy made some very bad decisions." Leo frowned. "Bad decisions?" "Yeah." "Like when Mommy says don't eat sweets before dinner?" Despite everything, Jackson laughed. "Something like that." Leo giggled. Dianna covered her mouth, trying not to cry. Jackson's laughter faded into something more emotional. "How are you, my boy?" "I'm good." "What have you been doing?" "I played with my cars." "Yeah?" "Uh-huh. Grandpa bought me a red one." Jackson smiled. "Your favorite color." "Yes." "I remember." Leo became quiet for a moment. Then he