Snow Illuminates the Coming Year — Novel

About

In a world where shadows of the past loom large, Millie Summers finds herself unexpectedly thrust into the life of a child who carries the weight of her deepest sorrows. When a boy named Arson appears at her studio, the resemblance to her own lost child is hauntingly undeniable. With a birthmark that mirrors her son’s, Arson pulls Millie back into a web of buried memories, old grudges, and heart-wrenching questions. What secrets lie behind his timid gaze, and why does he bear the scars of a troubled life?

As Millie grapples with the truth of Emily's tragic death and her own bitterness, she must confront the unsettling reality that this child may hold the key to her past—and perhaps her future. When whispers of abuse surface, Millie’s protective instincts ignite, forcing her to question everything she thought she knew about love, loss, and the ties that bind them.

Will Millie rise to the challenge of protecting Arson from the shadows of their intertwined fates? Or will the ghosts of her past consume them both? In a tale woven with tension and raw emotion, the lines between love and hate blur, and the snow that blankets their lives might just illuminate a path to redemption.

Snow Illuminates the Coming YearChapter 1

On the day Emily was buried, her child appeared in my studio in the afternoon.

“Mom said that if she’s gone, I should come find you. You know my mom, right?”

Those clear eyes were exactly like Emily’s and they hurt my eyes to look at.

But just as I was about to coldly push him away, my eyes fell on the small birthmark behind his ear—a red heart, in the exact same spot as my son, born ten years ago and gone after only three days.

A thought so absurd that it made me tremble ran through my mind.

My vision blurred and I gripped the door frame to steady myself.

“W-what’s your name?”

——

“Arson Grant.”

The child’s voice was soft, carrying a faint, almost hidden fear.

Grand.

The same “Grant” as Harry Grant.

The scar on my chest, long since healed, felt torn open again, as if bleeding fresh.

Ten years ago, I, Millie Summers, was the legitimate daughter of the Grant Family.

Emily was my husband's first love, the one he had always secretly cherished.

My son was born, but just three days later, the doctor declared him dead from a sudden infection.

That day, my husband, Harry, wasn’t even by my side.

It was his mother, Linda Quinn, who coldly handled everything.