I recognized that look. I’d seen it in the mirror for years after my parents died.
“Ladies and gentlemen.” Richard Sterling’s voice cut through the noise. Tall. Handsome. Exhausted. “I won’t waste your time with pleasantries. Three years ago, my wife died in a car accident. My daughter Amelia hasn’t spoken a single word since.”
Whispers rippled through the crowd. I saw people exchanging glances—some sympathetic, most calculating.
“I’ve spent fifteen million dollars on specialists. The best doctors in the world.” His voice cracked. “None of them could reach her. So tonight, I’m making an offer. Anyone who can help my daughter speak again will receive ten million dollars. Cash. No questions asked.”
The room exploded into chatter.
“Richard, darling,” a woman in a red dress called out. “You can’t seriously expect—”
“I’m dead serious, Margaret.” He gripped the podium. “Ten million. To anyone who succeeds.”
A man in an expensive suit laughed. “Some things are just broken, Sterling. You can’t buy miracles.”
That word made my stomach turn. Broken.