Amelie’s POV

There are days in your life that stand out, for better or worse. Days you’ll always remember, and days you wish you could forget.

I remember my eighth birthday as one of the happiest days of my life. My parents surprised me and took the family to New York. First, we saw a Broadway show and then visited Times Square.

The best that happened that day was my dream of standing on Wall Street. While most young girls played wedding dress up, I carried around my dad’s old messenger briefcase and gave financial advice. I knew one day I would be working on this street, and I vowed to myself as I glanced at the Bull statue. I had always been obsessed with New York and Wall Street, and the fact that I spent the day exploring it with my three favorite people made it the perfect day ever.

The nonstop pace of the city drew me in, and I was captured, heart and soul. It was love at first sight. I knew this was where I belonged, and I couldn't wait to call it my home one day.

Unfortunately, I think that was the last day I felt true happiness. Four days later, my little brother and I were being moved into a foster home. My parents had been killed the night before. They were out celebrating my dad’s promotion when a drunk driver blew through a stop sign and slammed into their car, killing them instantly. At that moment, my life and my heart were shattered. There were so many pieces that I couldn’t pick them all up. Some, I felt, were lost forever.

My brother, Zander, was only 5 years old; he couldn’t grasp the concept of the loss. How could he? I could barely even grasp it myself. For the longest time, he was angry. He thought they had left him because he had done something wrong. He kept asking when they would be coming home. I just hugged him and told him not to worry. I was his family, and he could always depend on me.

Life after that day wasn’t easy; we were in and out of different foster care homes with no real sense of belonging. My love for school and determination to make something of myself were the only things that carried me through. To make life better for my brother Zander and me.

Zander was a good kid. Always smiling and polite. Just one look from his piercing grey eyes could set your mind at ease. I swear they smiled more than his mouth did. He was the kind of brother you could be proud of. He was always the one to turn the other cheek and take the high road regarding disputes. I’m sure he was an old soul and wise beyond his years. He had a heart of gold.

My 14th birthday was the first and only time Zander ever got into trouble. That’s the day my so-called foster dad decided I was old enough to be “taught.” My brother walked in to see me crying while my foster dad had his hand down my pants. Zander lost it. At 11 years old, he was already standing 5’10” and had a personality more significant than his height. He wailed punches down on my foster dad until he was unconscious. That was the last day we ever stayed in foster care.

I had a part-time job at the local diner. The owner, Betty, was like a mother figure to me, and when we ran away from the foster home, she let us stay in the tiny one-bedroom apartment above the diner for free. She also gave me extra hours and “leftover” food, so our bellies were never empty. We managed to scrape by. It was a tough time; we didn’t have much, but we had each other. I vowed that moment I would make something of myself and get us out of this town. Onwards and upwards was my mantra. I worked as much as possible to support us and spent the rest of my hours studying and doing homework. All the hard work eventually paid off when I was granted a full scholarship to Columbia University. I was ecstatic. After graduating as valedictorian of my class, I packed all our possessions and headed to New York.

I was entirely at home and thoroughly enjoying life in New York. I had settled into my studies at Columbia and got a part-time job at a coffee shop. Everything was perfect until I was again hit with a devastating blow that chilly November day.

“Oh, come on, sis, you have to be there! It’s a huge game,” Zander looked at me pleading.

“Zander, I need to finish this paper. Onwards and upwards, remember,” I reminded him, rolling my eyes.

“It’s just a couple of hours, that’s all.” You’ll be home by noon at the latest. You can’t miss my football game,” he said, pulling out his adorable pouty lip. I couldn’t resist.

“Geesh, stop with the lip! I’ll come!” I laughed as he jumped at me and hugged me tightly.

“You’re the best Ame!”

Later that morning, at the football game, everything was going great for the team. We were up by 14 with 4 minutes to go. On a routine play, my heart stopped beating for a split second. Zander was tackled, but he didn’t get up. The coach rushed onto the field as I stood in the crowd, willing him to move. A signal from the coach sent everyone around my brother’s ever-still body into a panic.

“SOMEONE CALL 911!”

“CALL AN AMBULANCE”

I felt frozen, unable to move or think. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. The crowd surged a bit, and somehow, my feet carried me to the front of the stands.

“I’m sorry, miss, you can’t go on the field.” A security guard told me.

“THAT’S MY BROTHER LYING THERE!” I half screamed and half cried. He ushered me over to the team bench. The paramedics arrived shortly after, and my brother was put on a stretcher. The coach ran over to the bench, grabbed my hand, and pulled me towards the ambulance.

“He’s going to be okay, Amelie; I’m sure.” Just have faith,” Coach Warren said as he hugged me. I lost it, letting out sobbing cries as I glanced over at Zander’s still body. Coach Warren pulled me closer. “Shhhh…. Zander needs you to be strong for him.”

He was right. No amount of tears would do any good. I needed to be strong and believe everything would be all right.

Amelie’s POV

This.

Can not.

Be.

Happening.

Someone, please wake me up from this awful nightmare. I have been at the hospital for 3 hours now, and still no word on what is going on. It was driving me crazy. I felt nauseated. Just then, Tiffany ran into the waiting room.

“Ame! Oh my gosh! I heard, and I had to come and see you,” Tiffany said as she hugged me. “Is Zander ok?”

“I don’t know, Tiff. I honestly don’t know.” I burst into tears.

“Shhhh, he’s going to be all right.” Your love will pull him through.” She wiped my tears away and hugged me for what felt like an eternity. It was exactly what I needed.

Man, I loved Tiff. She was the best friend anyone could ever have. For the past five years, she has been my rock, comfort, and shield to weather any storm. We always joked that we should just get married and forget about men. Then Tiff messed up our plans and found the most amazing boyfriend, Peter. You could tell their love for each other just by looking at them. Honestly, Peter was a god among men for the way he treated her and the depth of his love for her. He had the purest heart, and it showed in everything he did. I just hoped that someday, I would find that kind of love.

Tiff hugged me again. “I hate to leave you, but I’m already late for work,” I told Darcy about your brother, and she has covered your shift at the coffee shop tomorrow morning.

“What would I do without you, Tiff?”

“Probably lose your mind?” We both laughed at her comment. It was true; she held me together for more days than I’d like to admit.

“I love you, Tiff. I promise to text you when I find something out.” I watched as she walked down the hall and faded into the distance.

I spotted the doctor walking towards me.

“Ms. Cavanaugh?” he questioned.

“Yes,” I blurted out as I stood.

“I’m Dr. Carrera.” He extended his hand to shake mine. “Can you follow me to my office?”

“I’m sorry about the delay. We needed to run a battery of tests on your brother to determine the cause of the issue. Were you aware he has a heart condition?” Dr. Carrera queried.

“No, a heart condition?” I gasped in shock.

“Yes, he has a small hole in his heart called a Ventricular septal defect. Normally, the smaller holes close independently in childhood or without symptoms.

“What does this mean?”

“Since it is not closing on its own, we need to perform surgery,” he stated. “Don’t worry, most medical insurance coverages will cover this type of surgery.” If you would just reach out to your parents….”

“We don’t have parents, and we don’t have insurance.” The tears welled up in my eyes.

“Oh.” Dr. Carrera spoke.

“If he doesn’t have the surgery?” I whispered.

“Well, I wouldn’t recommend it, but if he is kept from activities and looked after, you could postpone it for a while. He must undergo surgery as soon as possible.

Zander couldn’t be held down. He was a free-spirited 17-year-old boy. He was the star quarterback for his football team and a member of the swim team. How was I supposed to tell him he had to give up everything he loved?

“How much does the surgery cost?” I felt the panic start to overtake my breathing.

“Well, I’m sure we can apply for some assistance for you, but it would probably be about $100,000.”

My heart was in my throat. I stood up, and a wave of panic overtook me. How was I supposed to get that type of money? That was the last thought I had before everything went black.

“Ms. Cavanaugh? Ms. Cavanaugh?” I woke up to Dr. Carrera leaning over me.

“What happened?”

“You fainted, Ms. Cavanaugh.” He stated.

“I’m sorry,” I blushed.

“Understandable, news like this can be quite shocking. When was the last time you had something to drink or eat?

“Yesterday,” I said.

“You need to get some food and fluids into your system," he chided. I will have one of the nurses walk you to the café in the lobby. After that, you can visit your brother. He is now stabilized and will be moved to a room soon.

“Thank you, Dr. Carrera.”

Nathan’s POV

Oh, shut up! I thought to myself. Why do they need to keep emphasizing the company's potential? I don’t care. I’m buying the company to break it up. As of tomorrow, Blake Industries will cease to exist. Don’t people understand that’s what I do? I swear if I hear the word potential one more time…

“Dr. Michaels,” my PA spoke, “Are you in agreement?” He nodded slowly and inconspicuously.

“Yes,” I responded. “It was nice doing business with you, gentlemen.” We shook hands. Thank God that was over.

Samuel, my PA, followed me out the door. He advised me of all the upcoming appointments for the next day.

“I’ve cleared your schedule for the rest of this afternoon. Mr. Michaels is requesting your presence at the hospital.

I sighed, “Tell him I’ll be there in half an hour.”

My grandfather’s requests were never to be ignored. Even in his old age, he continued to demand respect from everyone around him. He was a powerhouse, and everyone in the finance sector and beyond knew it.

I wonder what he wants this time. I thought to myself as I climbed into the back seat of my limousine. It was probably to scold me again about not being married. Honestly, I was only 25 years old; what was the rush? I was single and having fun, lots of fun. I had only ever had one serious relationship, but I was young and unprepared for commitment. Why would I shackle myself to one woman when there was a smorgasbord of flavors to taste, and boy, did I have a huge appetite? I smirked, thinking about the brunette I had left at the hotel the night before. She had the perkiest round tits of any woman I’ve ever been with. She was the type of girl that I was almost willing to break my rule over, almost. I never slept with the same woman twice. It saved the hassle of them getting attached or needy. I didn’t want my life to get messy.

Marcus, my driver, pulled me out of my thoughts by announcing that we had arrived at the hospital.

“I shouldn’t be more than an hour, Marcus. I’ll message you if I’m going to be longer.”

“Yes, sir. See you in an hour.”

I headed towards the cafe in the hospital lobby to grab my grandfather his large dark roast coffee and chuckled as I heard in my head. “Nathaniel, don’t think about stepping into this room without my coffee.” He was a demanding older man, but I loved him more than anyone.

Standing in line, I glanced around the café, taking in the people as they went about their daily business. My heart stopped. Who is that?

In the corner, tucked away at a small table, was a woman. No, not a woman. A goddess. Even though she was slouched over and crying, she was stunningly beautiful. My cock sprang to attention. She took my breath away. Long, luxurious, dark chestnut curly hair pulled back in a ponytail. Creamy, pale skin that begged to be caressed. She wore a Columbia hoody and leggings, but I could tell a prize was hidden underneath them. Her angelic face was tear-stained, and when she looked up with her big brown eyes, my heart broke for her. Why was she so sad? I felt compelled to walk over to her when my thought was interrupted.

“Next,” the barista yelled.

“Sorry,” I said as I moved forward.

The barista swooned at the sight of me. It was nothing I hadn’t faced countless times. I was good-looking, I knew that. Women threw themselves at me all the time. It had come to the point that I would be more shocked if they didn’t flirt.

“I’ll have a large dark roast coffee, black, please.”

“Yes, sir.” She said, batting her eyelashes at me, “Can I get you anything else? Anything…at…all?” She pushed her chest forward and bit her lip.

“No, that’s everything, thank you.”

A pout appeared on her lips, and she scurried off to pour the coffee.

While waiting, I turned to catch another glimpse of the saddened goddess, and an empty table greeted me.

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

Who was she, and where did she go?