The morning sun spilled over the imposing red-brick chimneys of Marland Mansion, bathing the manicured gardens in a golden light that seemed to promise a perfect day. Inside those regal hallways, steeped in history and family memories, Leonard Grant was returning home much earlier than usual.In his hands he carried a large bouquet of fresh tulips, and on his face rested a soft, almost childlike smile—an expression the business world had not seen in years. He hadn’t told anyone he was coming. He wanted it to be a surprise.Leonard was not an heir by birth; he was a self-made man. At thirty-nine, he was a renowned billionaire, yet his heart was still that of the boy from Tulsa, raised by a widowed mother who worked as a nurse and performed small miracles to stretch her paycheck to the end of the month.

Catherine, his mother, had been his rock, the reason behind every one of his successes. Now, at the top of the world, Leonard felt that life was finally complete. He was about to marry Anne Graham, an elegant, composed, dazzling woman—the partner he believed perfect for sharing his life and caring for his mother.He walked briskly through the foyer, imagining Catherine’s smile when she saw the flowers. He paused to adjust one of the green leaves in the bouquet, feeling fortunate. But as he approached the main living room, where light struck the polished marble with merciless clarity, time seemed to collapse in on itself. The silence in the house was not peaceful; it was charged, electric, raising the hairs on his skin.Leonard heard a sound. It wasn’t laughter or conversation. It was a dull thud, followed by a muffled moan that froze the blood in his veins. He stood still, partially hidden behind a column, and what his eyes caught next shattered in a second the reality he thought he was living.