Chapter 2

The call came on a Tuesday, shattering the fragile peace Ethan had built.

His sister, voice tight with panic.

"Ethan, it's Dad. He collapsed at the shop. It's his heart."

Ethan was on the next flight to Boston.

His father, a man whose hands had coaxed beauty back into centuries of neglected wood and canvas, lay pale and still in a hospital bed.

The doctor' s words were grim.

"A massive coronary. He needs a transplant, Mr. Cole. Urgently."

The cost, the doctor didn't need to say, would be astronomical.

And the waiting list...

Then came the second blow.

His sister, eyes red-rimmed, handed him a stack of overdue notices and threatening letters.

"The shop, Ethan... it's been failing for months. Dad didn't want to worry you. He took out loans, mortgaged everything."

Bankruptcy wasn't looming; it was hammering at the door.

The respected Cole & Son Restoration, a legacy of three generations, was about to be extinguished.

The weight of it all pressed down on Ethan, suffocating him.

His father's life, the family business, everything depended on him.

The quiet consultations wouldn't cut it. Not even close.

There was only one place to make that kind of money, fast.

The high-stakes, adrenaline-fueled world of New York art auctions.

A world he had deliberately left behind.

A world where Izzy, and undoubtedly Leo, now reigned.

He had no choice. He had to go back.

He booked a ticket to New York, a cold dread settling in his heart.

This wasn't just about money, he realized. This was about survival, on every level.