Chapter 1 Desperation: A world that devours the weak

The morning sun barely pierced through the dusty window of a cramped, one-room apartment. Aurora sat at a small wooden table, staring at the meager breakfast before her with a single piece of bread and a cup of watered-down coffee. Her stomach twisted with hunger, but food was the last thing on her mind.

From the worn-out couch in the corner, soft, ragged breathing filled the silence. Her mother, Maria, lay motionless, her pale face glistening with sweat. The coughing fits had worsened overnight, and even in sleep, she looked like she was in pain.

Aurora wiped her tired eyes and stood, her shoulders slumping under the weight of exhaustion. She was tired... tired of everything.

Life had been cruel to her since childhood. She had grown up in a poor family, with a sickly mother and a father addicted to gambling. Every time he lost and fell into debt with loan sharks, she was the one forced to clean up his mess. She had no choice. If she refused, he would beat her.

Since junior high, she had supported both her family and her education by taking on whatever jobs she could find, working day and night. But after completing her first year of college, she had been forced to drop out. Her mother's illness had worsened, and no matter how hard she worked, it was never enough to cover their growing expenses.

What a life...

She was only nineteen, yet it felt as if she had lived ten lifetimes, carrying burdens far heavier than she could bear.

With a deep sigh, she grabbed her worn-out bag. The word tired wasn't in her vocabulary. She had to go to work-- another long shift cleaning tables, scrubbing floors, and inhaling the greasy scent of fried food awaited her.

Just as she reached for the door, it slammed open.

Her father, Felix, stumbled in, reeking of alcohol and cigarettes. His clothes were wrinkled, his eyes bloodshot, and his pockets jingled with loose change.

"Where's the money?" he slurred, his greedy gaze scanning the room.

Aurora's fists clenched. This worthless man was the biggest burden in their lives. "I don't have any. I used it to buy Mom's medicine."

Felix sneered. "Medicine won't fix her. What I need is a little luck tonight. If I win big, we'll be living in a mansion by morning."

There it is again. His favorite lie.

"You said that last time. And the time before that," Aurora said coldly. Even if she wanted to give him money, she had nothing left.

Felix scowled and yanked at her bag. "Don't lie to me, girl."

Aurora clutched it back, her patience snapping. "There's nothing!" she shouted, her voice raw with frustration.

His hand came down hard across her cheek. A sharp sting spread through her face, and blood trickled from the corner of her lips. But she didn't cry. She had long since stopped crying for him. She had become immune to his beatings.

"Useless brat," he spat before stumbling back out onto the streets.

Aurora exhaled shakily and turned to her mother, who stirred slightly from the noise. She have to be strong. Not for herself, but for her mother.

____

That night, Aurora returned home, her body aching from hours of scrubbing dishes. But the moment she stepped inside, dread wrapped around her like a vice.

Maria was gasping for breath on the floor, her frail hands gripping the leg of the table.

"Mom!" Aurora rushed to her side, panic tightening her throat. She quickly lifted her up.

Maria's eyes barely opened. "I... I can't breathe..."

Aurora's mind spiraled into chaos, but there was no time to think. She grabbed her mother's weak frame and half-carried her outside, desperately flagging down a passing cab.

"Please, take us to the hospital!" she begged, tears threatening to spill as she waved at an empty taxi.

The driver hesitated. "You got money?"

Aurora's heart sank. "I'll pay later, I swear!"

The driver sighed and unlocked the door. "Get in."

____

Grayson Moore sat in the backseat of his black Maybach, his fingers tapping idly against the leather armrest. Through the tinted window, he watched her.

Aurora Scott.

He had spent years searching for her. One year had passed since he finally tracked her down, confirming her identity. And for that entire year, he had watched.

He knew every detail of her miserable life. The pitiful one-room apartment, the endless cycle of menial jobs, the sick mother clinging to life, and the father who gambled away whatever scraps she managed to earn. He had seen her struggle, seen her endure, seen her refuse to break no matter how many times life tried to crush her.

Tonight was no different.

She stood by the roadside, arms wrapped around her frail mother, her slim frame barely able to support the weight. The desperation in her eyes was something he had witnessed countless times before, yet she still didn't fall to her knees.

Grayson remained motionless, his expression cold and composed.

Most people in her position would have surrendered to fate. Some even begged, stolen, or sold themselves to survive. But Aurora? She still fought. Even now, when the world had left her with nothing.

A slow tension coiled in his chest.

He could end her suffering with a single command. One call, and she'd never have to scrape by again. But that wasn't why he was here.

He wasn't her savior.

He was the man who had been watching. Waiting for the right time.

With a slow, calculated movement, he shifted his gaze to the driver.

"Drive."

The Maybach pulled away, slipping into the darkened streets of Harford. But even as the city blurred past, Grayson knew one thing for certain..

This wouldn't be the last time he saw Aurora.

Not by chance.

And certainly not by accident.

___

The hospital was bright, sterile, and cold. Aurora clutched her mother's hand as doctors rushed her onto a stretcher, wheeling her away into the unknown.

Minutes passed. Then hours. Aurora sat in the waiting room, staring at the cracked tile floor, her hands gripping her knees. She didn't know what to do. She felt hopeless. Powerless. Fate had been so cruel to her.

Finally, a nurse approached. "Are you the patient's daughter?"

Aurora shot up. "Yes! Is she okay?"

The nurse hesitated. "She's stable for now, but she needs immediate treatment. The doctor will only proceed once the payment is arranged."

The words struck like a knife to the gut. She had no money. Not a single cent.

"How much?" she whispered.

The nurse handed her a paper. The numbers blurred in her vision instantly. It was more money than she had ever seen in her life.

"We need a down payment by tomorrow, or we'll have to discharge her."

Aurora's knees nearly buckled. "No... Please, she'll die if you send her home!"

"I'm sorry," the nurse said softly before walking away.

Aurora stood there, her world crumbling around her.

No money. No options. No way out.