"Happy birthday to me," Caelum whispered to the quiet air inside his car.He looked down at the small bakery box sitting on his lap. Inside was a tiny strawberry cupcake with a single pink candle. It was cheap and simple, but he had bought it with a soft smile on his face. Today was his twenty-ninth birthday. He did not want a grand party or expensive gifts. He only wanted to share this small sweet treat with his wife, Seraphine.Caelum placed his hand on the hand controls of his custom car. Three years ago, a terrible car crash had taken everything from him. In one single night, his father, his mother, and his grandparents were all gone. The grand Vanterpool family, once the undisputed kings of the business world, was left with only one surviving heir: Caelum.The crash had broken his body and stolen the use of his legs. While he lay in the quiet hospital room, listening to the dull beep of heart monitors, his distant relatives and greedy business associates had hovered over him like

CHAPTER TWO"Sir! Sir, please slow down!"Barnaby Quill hurried down the private underground parking garage of the Ollivier tower, his polished black leather shoes clicking rapidly against the concrete floor. He was fifty years old, dressed in a sharp, immaculate charcoal suit, and carried a thick leather briefcase.Caelum was pushing his wheelchair forward at a swift, powerful pace. His face was cold, expressionless, and dark.Barnaby reached the side of Caelum's black luxury vehicle. He quickly pressed the button on his small remote control. The side van door slid open automatically, and a high-tech hydraulic wheelchair lift lowered smoothly to the ground.Caelum rolled onto the metal platform, allowed the lift to raise him into the customized driver's section, and locked his chair into the secure floor mechanism.Barnaby climbed into the front passenger seat, closed the door, and turned around to look at his master. His eyes were full of deep worry and quiet anger."I saw the paper

"Where is the money, Lucian?" Seraphine asked, her voice cracking in the quiet hallway of the bank.It was ten o'clock on a bright Thursday morning, but inside the executive office of First National Bank, the air felt freezing cold. Seraphine stood by the glass window, her hands clasped tightly together. Her silk blouse was creased, and dark circles shadowed her eyes. She had not slept for a single minute since Caelum signed the divorce papers two days ago.Lucian stood opposite her near the walnut desk. He was wearing his usual navy suit, but his silk tie was slightly crooked, and a faint sheen of sweat covered his forehead. He had spent the last three hours pacing back and forth, holding his cell phone to his ear, listening to continuous dial tones that ended in automatic voicemail."I am telling you to be patient, Seraphine," Lucian muttered, wiping his brow with the back of his hand. "My capital firm handles international investments. The transfer from our European accounts requir

"Where did you think the money came from, Seraphine?" grandmother Odalys asked, her soft voice cutting through the heavy quiet of the living room. It was Friday evening inside the old mansion of the Ollivier family. Rain tapped gently against the tall glass windows. Seraphine sat on the dark velvet sofa, staring down at her cold cup of tea. Her hair was messy, and her eyes were red from crying. Beside her sat her mother Marguerite and her cousin Dagny, both looking pale and nervous. In the wooden rocking chair across from them sat Odalys Ollivier, the eighty-year-old grandmother and the true head of the family. She held a warm ceramic mug in her thin hands, her wise grey eyes looking closely at her granddaughter. "I thought... I thought I worked hard for it, Grandmother," Seraphine whispered, her voice weak and hoarse. "I spent sixteen hours a day in the office. I signed every document. I met every client." Odalys let out a slow, gentle sigh and shook her head. "Hard work is good

"Are you sure about this, doctor?" Seraphine asked, her hand shaking as she held the white paper in the quiet clinic room.It was four months after the divorce. The sun was setting over the city, filling the doctor's office with a soft orange light. Seraphine sat on the small examination bed, looking down at the medical report in her lap. Her body was thin, her face looked tired, and her eyes were full of deep fear.Doctor Miller set his silver pen on the wooden desk and looked at her with gentle eyes."Yes, Miss Ollivier," the doctor said softly. "The blood tests are completely clear. You are six weeks pregnant. Your baby is healthy, but you are very weak. You need to rest and stop stressing yourself."Seraphine sat completely still. Her heart was beating fast in her chest. A thousand thoughts raced through her mind like wild wind.A baby.She was carrying a child.She rested her cold hand gently against her stomach. For a brief second, a warm feeling filled her heart. But then, a co