Chapter 2 - A Ghost in the Rain
Miles away from the glittering world of the Sterling estate, the rain hammered against the roof of a rundown mechanic's shop. Leo stood under the flickering neon light, his hands stained with motor oil and grease. He was a man built from the earth—broad-shouldered, rugged, with a jawline carved by hardship and eyes that held a tempest of unspoken grief. On the workbench in front of him rested a small, tarnished silver locket. Inside was a dried, fragile daisy. It was the only thing he had left of her. Five years. One thousand, eight hundred, and twenty-five days of agonizing search.
They had told him she died in the crash. Her family's lawyers had handed him a fake death certificate, threatened his life, and chased him out of the state. But Leo was not a man who broke easily. When he found out the grave was empty, he turned the world upside down looking for her. He had scraped through the darkest corners, followed a trail of dirty money, silenced doctors, and bribed security guards. Today, he had finally found the missing piece of the puzzle. Elena was alive. She was being held at the Sterling Manor. And tonight, she was being forced to marry Julian Sterling, the man who had orchestrated the crash.
Leo threw his wrench onto the table with a clatter. He wiped his hands on a rag, his jaw clenching with a dangerous determination. He walked over to his worn canvas duffel bag and zipped it up. He didn't care about the billionaires, the security guards, or the police. He didn't care that he was just a mechanic from the wrong side of the tracks, stepping into a world of wolves. He was going to get his girl back. Even if he had to tear the entire Sterling Manor down brick by brick.
