“I’ll give you wrk a million if you cure me.” The billionaire chuckles… until the unthinkable happens.

At the center of it all sat Rafael Cortez, forty years old, in a wheelchair that cost more than most houses. He ruled the court like a monarch trapped in a cage of steel and silent fury.

Two years earlier, she had been the face of Cortez Enterprises, a construction empire known for completely absorbing smaller companies.

Now, his legs remained motionless, reminders of a mountaineering accident that fractured his spine and scattered his pride across the cliff.

Around him, four wealthy acquaintances relaxed: Gerard Whitmore, Mason Delacroix, Levi Chambers, and Silas Beaumont. They exchanged jokes like children throwing stones into rivers, not caring what might sink.

Gerard raised his glass in a toast. “To Raphael, the invincible emperor,” he said, with a laugh as bubbly as champagne. “Not even gravity could bring you down completely.”

Rafael smiled slightly. He had learned to use charm as if it were armor. “I prefer ‘temporarily inconvenienced emperor,’” he replied. The wheelchair whirred as he shifted positions.

Near the edge of the yard, a ten-year-old girl mopped the rainwater off an outside bench. She used an old rag that absorbed more dirt than moisture. Her jeans were too short. Her sneakers were held together with tape.

Her hair fell in tangled waves down her back. Bella Morales. Her mother, Teresa Morales, was nearby with cleaning supplies strapped to a cart, scrubbing the patio stones until her fingernails bled.

Gerard looked at the girl with nonchalant amusement. “Rafael,” he said, nodding his chin. “Is that the prodigy your team mentioned? The one who looks at us like he knows all our secrets?”

Mason snorted. “He’s probably wondering how many zeros we have in our bank accounts. Poor thing.”

Teresa bowed her head. “She’s just helping me. Please ignore her.”

Rafael looked at Bella, noticing the serene intelligence in her eyes. There was something unsettling about the way she observed the world, as if she were piecing it together like a puzzle only she could see. He raised his voice with natural authority.