A little girl hugged her 10-month-old brother tight, tears streaming down her face as her stepmother dragged her toward the old doghouse. “Please, don’t make us stay here!” Harper Langley begged. But the front gate swung open just then, and their father returned—a millionaire whose next move left everyone in stunned silence.
Crash.
The sharp sound of shattering glass echoed through the kitchen. Harper, clumsy with her small hands, had dropped a glass of water. Cold liquid spread across the polished tiles, carrying shards in every direction. Mason, her baby brother, burst into frightened crying in his walker. Harper trembled, trying to scoop him up.
“Stepmom will never forgive me,” she whispered.
Ever since their mother died giving birth to Mason, Harper had grown quiet, self-reliant, and fiercely protective. At eight years old, she understood survival better than most adults. Their mother had chosen Mason’s life over her own when illness threatened them both. Since then, the Langley house had lost its warmth.
“Harper, what did you do now?”