But for the past week, Sophia had been burning with a fever that wouldn’t break. They had no money for medicine, and it had been three days since they’d eaten a proper meal.
Hungry and terrified for their sister, Ethan and Lily gathered their courage and walked into an upscale gated neighborhood on the outskirts of Greenwich, Connecticut. They stopped in front of a massive estate with towering hedges and a sprawling lawn overgrown with weeds behind an imposing black iron gate.
The owner was Mr. William Harrington, a reclusive billionaire businessman known for being cold, demanding, and impossible to approach. He had no wife, no children, and lived alone in the enormous mansion. Usually, security turned away anyone who even lingered near the gate.
Hands trembling, Ethan pressed the intercom.
Minutes later, Mr. Harrington appeared on the balcony and slowly made his way down the steps, leaning on his cane, his expression stern.
“What do you want? This isn’t a place for handouts. Go home,” he barked.
Lily hid behind her brother, shaking.