Chapter 1 - The Weight of an Unfinished Count
The private breakfast room of the Calder estate smelled of freshly ground espresso and quiet intimidation. Victor Calder sat at the head of the long walnut table, his eyes fixed on a financial report that required absolute concentration. Surrounding him were his closest advisors, men who knew better than to make a sound before he had taken his first sip of coffee.
Yet, the heavy atmosphere shattered entirely when a tiny figure wandered in. Four-year-old Maisie Nolan, daughter of a staff member, stood beside his chair. Wearing oversized housekeeping attire and clutching a worn stuffed rabbit, she bypassed every rule of the household with innocent audacity.
"Can you hug me for five minutes?" she asked.
Victor froze. The men at the table stiffened, expecting the boss's legendary cold fury. Instead, Victor hesitated, looking down into the little girl's completely earnest eyes. When her mother rushed in, mortified and apologizing profusely, Victor dismissed his security team and advisors, demanding to know the reason behind the bizarre request.
May you like
Maisie's answer stopped the room in its tracks. Her father—a man recently lost to the violent underworld that Victor controlled—had taught her that when someone is sad, you hug them and count slowly to three hundred.
Victor felt an unfamiliar fracture in his carefully constructed armor. Instead of sending her away, he gently pulled the child close, beginning a count that would slowly unlock a frozen heart.
