Home was supposed to feel like relief.
The flight back from Singapore dragged on, but Adrian Cole barely registered the hours. He had just secured a deal that would reshape his financial technology company—headlines, investors, long-term security. On paper, it was everything.
But all he could think about was Hannah.
Eight years old. Bright, curious, endlessly alive. She carried pieces of her mother in the way she laughed, in the way she saw the world. Since losing her, Adrian had tried to become everything at once—provider, protector, parent.
In the backseat of the car, he glanced at the oversized teddy bear beside him. Ridiculous, oversized—but perfect. He could already picture Hannah running toward him, arms open, eyes shining.
But when the gates opened and the mansion came into view, something felt wrong.
