The Billionaire Second Chance

of a legal company she faintly remembered. Dread had already taken up

r finger over the chipped paint on the front door of h

were gone, leaving her alone to fend off the tide of misfortu

ined a sanctuary, a battered, weathered anchor that tethered her to something

ust of wind tore at them. The ancient sycamore tree'

overdue payments might go unnoticed a little longer, that perhaps the bank would be lenient. But this en

peeling it open with the kind of reverence

physical link she had to her parents, made the words hazy as her eye

treet only heightened her sense of despair. She folded the paper in half, then quarters as if diminishing it

r mother's voice consoling he

el safe." But where could she feel safe now? The thought fe

sage from her landlord a curt reminder that her lease for the flower shop was also teeteri

putting the notice in her bag and using the back of her hand to wipe away her tears, she t

cratches on the dining table from her father's woodworking projects a

eir wedding day, smiling at the camera with their arms intertwined; a younger Valentina with a bunch of wi

Maybe the bank would reconsider. Maybe she could negotiate an e

the door behind her, she glanced at the old sycamore tree one last time. Its roots, deep an

tside flickered past like fleeting stars, illuminating her parents' faces in quick, fragmented flashes. Her father's profile, strong and steady, exuded co

a soothing melody. Valentina had smiled back, her

. Valentina's heart thumped in her chest as her eyes sprung open. The automobile swerved suddenl

truggling to control the whee

eafening blare of a horn. The flash of headlights seemed to grow im

en, da

blood. She was upside down, her seatbelt holding her, glass fragments glittering like terrible jewels in the pale mo

answer. Struggling against the restraint, she twisted her body, her small hands fumbling

ther's once-bright eyes gazed into the emptiness as her head leaned agai

They were gone. Her world's pillars, the people who had given her

ights, casting some pretty creepy shadows on the wreckage. Strong hands pulled her from the car, the voices of

. She would nev

er twelfth birthday, shaking. There was a small photograph of her parents inside the room, still th

nd hadn't given it any attention in years. But she had been brought bac

se their presence. On calm evenings, her mother's aroma filled the yard, while her father

g lady with dark circles under her eyes, sunken cheeks, and tenacity she wasn't sure she pos

the past There were expenses to cover and a life to save. She learned to fight an

oma of lavender, roses, and newly cut grass, which momentarily softened the sharpness of her fear. At the entrance, she halted, her gaze skimmi

ng his hands on a green apron smudged with dirt. His dark hair was tousled, and a streak of soil marked his che

his smile wavering as he took

unloading her troubles on Lucas he had enough on his plate running this place. "I'm fine," she

the help. It's been busier than usual today." He gestured toward the c