Chapter 1 - THE ACCUSATION ON WALL STREET
The word hung in the cold Manhattan air like a physical blow.
Mommy.
Franklin Buchanan froze on the pavement, his billion-dollar poise shattering instantly. His eyes swept over Valerie Morales—her frayed uniform, the smell of cheap lemon bleach radiating from her skin, her calloused hands—and then traveled down to his daughters, who were clinging to her legs as if she were their lifeline.
"What did you say?" Franklin’s voice dropped to a lethal, quiet register. He stood up, towering over Valerie. The vulnerability he had shown a second ago vanished, replaced by the ruthless billionaire persona that terrified Wall Street competitors. "What did you do to them? What did you feed them?"
Valerie didn’t flinch. She had spent the last twelve hours scrubbing floors for men just like him—men who thought money bought reality. "I gave them roasted peanuts because they were starving and terrified while you were busy checking your stocks," she said, her voice steady despite the adrenaline pounding in her chest. "And I didn't do anything to them."
"They just called you Mommy!" Franklin snapped, grabbing Vanessa’s hand to pull her away. But Vanessa shrieked, pulling back toward Valerie.
"No! She smells like the lady from the picture! The lady who sings to us!" Ashley cried out, tears streaming down her face again.
Franklin went deathly pale. The picture. The only photograph his daughters had of their late mother, Elena, who had supposedly died in a tragic private jet crash over the Atlantic five years ago—when the twins were only months old. Elena’s body had never been recovered, leaving Franklin with a shattered heart and a mountain of unanswered questions.
"Don't touch them, sir," Valerie said, stepping between Franklin and the girls. "They are overwhelmed. Look at them."
"You don't tell me what to do with my daughters," Franklin hissed, pulling out his phone. Within seconds, two burly men in black suits appeared from a parked Mercedes across the street. "Mark, Leo. Get the girls in the car. And hold this woman. Call the NYPD. We’re tracking a kidnapping attempt."
"Kidnapping?!" Valerie gasped. "I saved them from traffic!"
As the bodyguards moved in, the twins began to scream hysterically. Pedestrians finally stopped to watch, phones raised to record the drama. But just as Mark reached for Valerie’s arm, a luxury black SUV screeched to a halt at the curb.
The door opened, and an elegant, elderly woman stepped out. It was Victoria Buchanan, Franklin’s formidable mother and the matriarch of the Buchanan empire. She took one look at the chaos, her eyes landing squarely on Valerie’s face.
Victoria stopped dead in her tracks. Her silver cane slipped from her hand, clattering against the concrete. Her eyes widened in absolute horror.
"Elena...?" Victoria whispered, her voice trembling.
Franklin turned to his mother, confused. "Mother, no. Elena is dead. This is just a scammer, a cleaner trying to—"
"Franklin, look at her face!" Victoria screamed, pointing a shaking finger at Valerie. "Look past the dirt and the uniform! That is your wife!"
Valerie backed away, her heart hammering. "I don’t know who you people are! My name is Valerie Morales! I’ve never seen any of you in my life!"
But before she could run, the twins broke free from the bodyguards and grabbed Valerie’s hands again. At that exact moment, a flash of lightning illuminated the darkening sky, and the first drop of rain fell. As the water hit Valerie’s face, washing away the dust and sweat from her long shift, Franklin stared at her features.
The high cheekbones. The slight arc of the brow. The exact shade of amber in her eyes.
It was impossible. It was insane. But standing before him wasn't a stranger. It was the ghost of the only woman he had ever loved.
"Who are you really?" Franklin whispered, stepping closer, his anger turning into an agonizing confusion.
May you like
Valerie opened her mouth to speak, but the exhaustion of a twelve-hour shift, the terror of the accusation, and a sudden, sharp pain in her temple overwhelmed her. The world spun. The flashing phone cameras of the crowd blurred into streaks of light.
Before Franklin could catch her, Valerie collapsed onto the cold wet pavement, unconscious.
