Just 12 hours ago , she was a single mother barely scraping by, squeezing her daughter into the service elevator of a downtown skyscraper because the police had fired her at the last minute. Now she was surrounded by armed men in tailored suits , positioned right behind the most ruthless leader of the East Coast criminal syndicate. And yet, the most terrifying thing wasn’t the approaching mortal danger.
It was the enormous engagement ring with a diamond that weighed him down in his left hand.
The radiator in Sereña Jenkins ‘s tiny apartment let out a mournful hiss… and shut off completely. It was barely 6:00 in the morning , and the December chill was already seeping in through the poorly sealed windows. Sereña was standing in the kitchenette, staring blankly at the staring screen of her cell phone.
“I’m so sorry, Serena,” Mrs. Gable’s voice, her older neighbor and housewife, crackled through the cheap loudspeaker. “My sciatica is horribly bad. I can barely stand… much less chase after sweet Lily today.”
“Don’t worry, Mrs. Gable. Rest, please. I’ll see what I can do,” Serena said, forcing a warmth she felt.
He hung up and covered his face with his hands. The cold, sharp air scratched his throat.
Serepa worked as a chambermaid at the Grande , a very high and ultra-exclusive hotel and private residence in the very heart of the financial district. It paid better than any cleaning job she’d ever had, but the management was famously ruthless. One mistake, one fault, no medical justification, and by noon you’d been replaced. Serepa couldn’t afford to lose that job.
Her ex-husband, Derek , had disappeared two years ago, leaving behind a mountain of debts, bets, and broken promises. Serena was completely alone, living day to day, fighting tooth and nail to keep a roof over her daughter’s head.
—Mommy, why is it so cold?
Serepa turned and saw Lily in the doorway, rubbing her little blue eyes, still sleepy. She was wearing her favorite oversized fleece pajamas and cuddling a battered stuffed rabbit named Barpaby . Serepa’s heart melted, as always. She crossed the room and picked up the five-year-old girl, kissing the top of her messy blond hair.
