Chapter 1

The dim, flickering light of the single bulb in the cramped apartment cast long shadows over the peeling wallpaper. Ezra Alexander sat on the edge of the threadbare couch, his hands trembling as he counted the crumpled bills he’d earned that day. Twenty-three dollars. Not enough. It was never enough.

In the other room, his father’s gruff voice slurred into the silence, muttering to himself as he downed the last of a cheap bottle of whiskey. Ezra winced at the sound of glass shattering. Another broken bottle. Another piece of his already fragile world falling apart.

The debts increased over them like a storm cloud on a rainy day, a suffocating reminder of mistakes that weren’t his. His father had gambled away their lives years ago, and Ezra had been paying for it ever since. Every paycheck went to the faceless men who came knocking at their door, their demands growing harsher with each visit.

“Ezra!” his father barked from the next room. “Where’s the money?”

“I already gave it to them,” Ezra called back, his voice steady despite the fear curling in his stomach. “There’s nothing left.”

The silence that followed was more unsettling than his father’s anger. Ezra’s mind raced, anticipating another drunken outburst, but the only sound was the creak of the old floorboards as he stood ignoring the hunger he felt .

“You think they’ll stop coming just because you gave them some scraps?” his father sneered, stumbling into the room. His bloodshot eyes bore into Ezra’s. “You need to work harder. Get more. Or do you want them to take it out on me?”

Ezra clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. He wanted to scream, to remind his father that he’d been the one to dig this hole, but he swallowed his anger. It wouldn’t change anything.

“I’ll figure something out,” he muttered, grabbing his worn out jacket from the back of a chair.

The cold night air hit him like a slap as he stepped outside. The streets were quiet, save for the distant hum of traffic and the occasional bark of a stray dog. Ezra pulled his jacket tighter around him and headed toward the cafe where he worked.

It wasn’t much a small, dingy place frequented by night owls and the occasional drunk looking for greasy food to soak up their liquor, but it was steady. Or as steady as anything could be in his life.

As he rounded the corner, a sleek black car sped past, its headlights illuminating the cracked pavement. Ezra barely had time to register the luxury of it a stark contrast to his surroundings before it came to a screeching halt a few feet ahead.

The door opened, and a tall figure stepped out. Even in the dim light, Ezra could see the confidence in the man’s stride, the effortless grace that seemed out of place in this part of town. His tailored suit clung perfectly to his broad frame, and his sharp features were illuminated as he glanced around, his piercing eyes settling on Ezra.

“Excuse me,” the man said, his voice smooth and commanding. “Do you know the way to Halcyon Avenue?”

Ezra froze, caught off guard by the sheer presence of the stranger with a masculine perfect figure . Halcyon Avenue was in the city’s wealthiest district, a place he’d only ever dreamed of.

“Uh, yeah,” Ezra stammered, pointing down the road. “It’s about two miles that way. Take a right at the light.”

The man studied him for a moment, his gaze lingering in a way that made Ezra’s cheeks flush.

“Thank you,” he said, but instead of getting back into the car, he extended his hand. “I’m Adrian Locke.”

Ezra blinked, unsure of what to say. The name sounded familiar, but it wasn’t until he shook Adrian’s hand that he realized why. Adrian Locke was one of the most powerful businessmen in the city.

“I—uh, Ezra,” he finally managed.

Adrian’s lips curved into a faint smile. “Ezra. It was a pleasure to meet you.”

It was a simple exchange, but as Adrian returned to his car and drove away, Ezra couldn’t shake the feeling that something had just shifted.

He didn’t know it yet, but that brief encounter was the beginning of a chain of events that would change his life forever.

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