Chapter 1

The chemical smell of industrial cleaner burned Ethan' s nose, a familiar assault at 3 AM.

His back ached, a dull throb that never really left, a souvenir from his night shift mopping floors in the silent, empty skyscraper.

By day, he' d be on his bike, weaving through city traffic, a food delivery bag heavy on his shoulders.

All for Chloe, his wife.

And for Noah, their son.

Chloe, she said, had lost everything in a gallery investment gone bad. Bad luck, she called it.

So Ethan worked.

He worked until his hands were raw and his eyes burned with fatigue.

Noah' s medical bills were a mountain, growing higher each week. A rare blood disorder, the doctors said. Severe aplastic anemia.

Ethan loved Noah more than anything. He' d do anything.

He' d even thought about selling a kidney. He' d looked up risky medical trials online, his finger hovering over links before shame and fear pulled him back.

Tonight, the food delivery app pinged with a late order, a fancy address. A charity gala.

Usually, he wouldn't get these high-end runs.

He navigated the service entrance, a world away from the glittering facade.

Then he saw her.

Chloe.

She was across the ballroom, a champagne flute in her hand, laughing.

She wore a dress, a shimmering blue thing he' d seen in a magazine she' d left open weeks ago.

"Aspirational," she' d sighed, tracing the model' s silhouette. "Maybe someday."

Now it clung to her, real and expensive.

She was with a man, older, distinguished. Julian.

Ethan had seen his picture once, in an art magazine Chloe claimed was for "research." A big-shot collector.

They were close. Too close. Julian' s hand rested on the small of her back.

Ethan felt a coldness spread through his chest.

This wasn' t the struggling artist, his wife, who cried over bills at their small kitchen table.

His gaze drifted to a nearby easel displaying auction items.

A framed photograph.

It showed Chloe, radiant, beside Julian. And a boy, about Noah' s age, smiling between them.

Julian' s nephew, Alex, the caption read. A happy family.

Ethan' s breath hitched.

The Chloe in the picture, the Chloe in the blue dress, was a stranger.

He backed away, the food order forgotten in his hand.

The weight of his delivery bag suddenly felt crushing.

He thought of their cramped apartment, the worn-out furniture, Noah' s pale face.

He thought of Chloe' s tears, her talk of debts.

It didn' t make sense.

He fumbled for his phone, his fingers clumsy. He needed to call her, to hear her voice, her explanation.

But what would he even ask?

"Who are you?"