Chapter 8 - Whispers of the Mainland
Winter in San Valerio was not cold, but it brought heavy rains that turned the ocean into a churning, violent expanse of gray.
During one of the worst storms, Liam sat by the fireplace in their cottage, reading a worn paperback while Lily colored on the rug. The radio crackled in the background, tuned to a mainland news station.
Suddenly, a name cut through the static.
"...Harrison Global conglomerate announced a massive restructuring today following the sudden disappearance of its heir..."
Liam’s grip on his book tightened until his knuckles turned white.
"Papa?" Lily asked, looking up from her drawing. "Are you okay?"
Liam forced his hands to relax. He walked over to the radio and clicked it off, the sudden silence filling the room.
May you like
"I'm fine, sweetie," Liam said, forcing a warm smile. "Just a cramp in my hand from the wrenches."
But as he looked out the window at the driving rain, the cold ice of his past brushed against his spine. His mother was not a woman who accepted defeat. The restructuring meant she was consolidating power. She was preparing for a hunt.
