Chapter 1
In the early days of September, the atmosphere at Peacefield was tinged with a sense of desolation. The orphanage sat in terie silence, a stark contrast to the vibrant colors of autumn tha began to bloom outside.
Maria Adams, the director, approached the door at the end of the third floor with hesitant resolve. “Lenore, your father is here,” she said softly.
Moments stretched into an uncomfortable silence until the door creaked open. The girl behind it, her voice still thick with the remnants of sleep, asked, “Where is he?”
Maria’s expression was a tangled mix of concern and reluctance as she replied, “Downstairs.”
Without a word, Lenore Smedley shoved her hands into the pockets of her oversized jacket and shuffled down the stairs in her worn slippers.
Troy Smedley had been waiting for what felt like an eternity. He stood there, his patience fraying at the edges, until Lenore finally appeared. His tone was immediate and commanding. “Pack your things. We’re going back to Jinslenburg right now.”
Troy, in his forties, was dressed in a sharply tailored business suit, his eyes gleaming with the shrewdness of a seasoned businessman–yet there was a hardness to them, a thinly veiled contempt for the daughter who stood before him.
Lenore leaned casually against the railing, a flicker of defiance in her eyes. “Not today,” she said, a teasing lilt to her voice. Troy’s coffee cup slammed down onto the table with a force that echoed through the room, causing a group of curious children at the doorway to scatter in fright.
Troy snapped, “I traveled all this way, and you’re telling me not today?” He postured like a man who believed his presence was a grand event.
Lenore tilted her head, feigning seriousness as she replied, “I genuinely can’t.” There was a game at night that she needed to attend. After a moment’s pause, she added, “Besides, I didn’t ask for you to come pick me up.”
Her tone dripped with mockery, igniting the sparks of Troy’s temper. “If it weren’t for your mother’s sake, I wouldn’t care if you dropped dead out there,” he shot back, the words sharp enough to slice through the air.
A laugh escaped Lenore’s lips, low and dangerous. “My mom passed away long ago.”
Troy was momentarily thrown off balance, his fists clenched at his sides. In his heart, Lenore had once been a sweet, fragile girl, adored by everyone.
But the trauma of that fateful explosion–which had taken her mother when she was merely four–had transformed her completely. The wolfish fierceness that radiated from her was a far cry from the delicate porcelain doll she had once been.
To create a good environment for his younger daughter to grow Troy could only send Lenore to Peacefield, the hometown that was remote and poor.
‘Over a decade has passed, yet she remains defiant. If it weren’t for the impending milestone of her eighteenth birthday… She must remain under my watchful eye until then,‘ Troy thought to himself.
Suppressing his disgust, he said coldly, “As long as I’m here, you’ll be leaving whether you like it or not.”
‘After Lenore was left behind at Peacefield, Amanda, her grandmother, was her only anchor until Amanda’s death when she was eight, leaving her adrift once more.
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Chapter 1
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‘Despite having a family and a father, Lenore spent her days in the orphanage, wrestling with the sting of abandonment. It’s only normal that she hates her father, Maria thought while watching the father–daughter exchange with a growing sense of
unease.
It wasn’t that she could intervene; the conflict between Lenore and Troy was an unwieldy storm, brewing just beneath the surface. Maria often glanced at Lenore, ready to stop her from losing control.
Eventually, Lenore broke the tension, her rebellious spirit flaring as she locked eyes with him. “You know why you want me back; don’t pretend it’s for my mother. She’s gone.”
Troy knew the truth. Viola, his late wife, had left behind a considerable fortune. It was locked up in a bank on Peace Avenue in Jinslenburg and would be accessible to Lenore only when she turned eighteen.
The exact amount was a mystery, but it was rumored to be substantial. Troy couldn’t completely break off with Lenore until he could get his hands on the fortune.
Seeing that she wouldn’t easily be
