Chapter 1 Shattered Reflections

The chill of late autumn wrapped itself around Ivy Carson as she stepped off the bus and onto the cracked pavement of Marlowe Bay. The coastal town was far from the glittering skyline of Manhattan, where her life had spiraled into chaos, and that was precisely the point. Here, the wind howled with salt instead of sirens, and the ocean roared loud enough to drown out the echoes of her past.

She pulled her coat tighter around her, the once-expensive wool now faded at the cuffs. Her suitcase was small-just enough clothes for a new start and a laptop filled with memories she hadn't had the courage to delete. As the bus wheezed away, Ivy stood motionless, watching it disappear into the mist. A strange sense of finality settled over her shoulders.

"You lost?"

The voice startled her. A woman with windblown curls and a friendly, sun-lined face stood a few feet away, holding a take-out coffee and a paper bag that smelled like cinnamon. Ivy straightened, trying to summon confidence.

"No. Just... new here."

The woman smiled knowingly. "That makes two of us. Sort of. I run the Lighthouse Café just around the corner. Come by when you're ready. First coffee's on the house."

Ivy nodded, murmured thanks, and headed toward the inn she had booked for the next month. It wasn't much-a creaky bed-and-breakfast with floral wallpaper and an aging receptionist named Dottie-but it offered anonymity. And right now, that was all Ivy needed.

Three days passed. Ivy spent most of it wandering along the beach, avoiding calls from her old life and trying not to think about headlines like PR Queen Crashes and Burns: Carson's Fall From Grace. She didn't need reminders. The betrayal still sizzled fresh in her mind-the stolen client files, the media storm, the carefully orchestrated lies that pinned the blame on her.

And Julian Roth's smug face as she walked out of the office for the last time.

By the fourth morning, she found herself outside the Lighthouse Café. It was warm and full of the comforting scent of fresh pastries. The woman from before-Maggie-greeted her like an old friend.

"Coffee or cocoa?"

"Coffee," Ivy said, accepting the steaming cup. "Thanks. I'm Ivy, by the way."

"Maggie. You staying long?"

"I don't know yet. I needed... a break."

Maggie didn't press. "Well, if you're looking for work, the bookstore next door could use help. Owner's nice, but terrible with computers."

Ivy's heart fluttered at the thought of doing something-anything-that didn't involve crisis control, press releases, or backstabbing boardroom meetings. She sipped her coffee and nodded.

By the end of the week, Ivy had a job.

Page & Spine Books was dusty, quaint, and smelled like old pages and vanilla. Its owner, Nora, was in her sixties and terrible with anything digital.

"Do you know how to update the website?" she asked after ten minutes.

Ivy smiled. "I built multi-platform campaigns for Fortune 500 companies. I think I can manage a bookstore homepage."

Nora blinked. "Well, all right then."

The days settled into rhythm. Ivy woke to the sound of gulls, walked to the shop, helped customers, and slowly began to breathe again. It wasn't glamorous. It wasn't high-paying. But it was peaceful.

And then he walked in.

The bell above the door jingled one stormy afternoon as thunder rolled over the sea. Ivy looked up from the counter to see a man step inside, rain dripping from the collar of his tailored coat. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and had the kind of presence that turned silence electric.

"Good afternoon," she offered politely.

He didn't respond immediately. His eyes scanned the room, taking in the shelves, the faded wallpaper, and finally, her. Something flickered across his face-surprise, perhaps. Or recognition. But she was sure they'd never met.

He approached slowly, fingers brushing over the spines of a row of business books.

"You're not from here," he said, his voice low and controlled.

"Neither are you," she replied.

A hint of amusement ghosted his lips. "Touché."

He selected a book, then another, and placed them on the counter.

"I'd like to buy these."

Ivy rang him up, painfully aware of the intensity of his gaze. "Name?"

"For the receipt?" He hesitated, then said, "Gabriel. Gabriel Knight."

The name was familiar, though it took her a moment to place it. Then it clicked. KnightTech. One of the fastest-growing private tech empires in the country. She'd read about him once-brilliant, elusive, and reclusive since his brother's death years ago.

"Enjoy your books, Mr. Knight," she said evenly.

He nodded but didn't leave. Instead, his eyes narrowed slightly.

"You're Ivy Carson."

Her breath caught. "Excuse me?"

"You used to run PR for Valor Strategies. You managed the launch of Solis Bank's rebranding campaign."

It wasn't a question.

"I read your work," he added, voice softer now. "You're good. Very good."

The praise did nothing but tighten the knot in her chest. She lifted her chin. "That's ancient history."

"Maybe. But I'm looking for someone like you."

Ivy froze. "I'm not interested in-"

"Wait," he said, pulling a card from his coat. "I didn't come here to poach you. I have a situation. A complicated one. And I need someone I can trust to handle it quietly. Discreetly."

She took the card reluctantly. His name was embossed in silver.

"You don't know me," she said carefully.

"I know enough. I also know what happened to you wasn't your fault."

Her stomach flipped.

He turned toward the door. "Think about it. I'll be in town for a week."

And then he was gone, leaving only the scent of rain and the ghost of curiosity in his wake.

That night, Ivy couldn't sleep. She searched his name online and reread what she remembered. Gabriel Knight had vanished from the public eye years ago after a scandal involving his older brother's overdose. Since then, he ran his empire from behind closed doors-brilliant but unapproachable.

Why would a man like that come to her for help?

And how did he know so much about her fall?

Her instincts screamed that involvement with Gabriel Knight would drag her back into the very world she'd escaped. The corporate games. The secrets. The risk.

But something about his eyes-sharp but tired-haunted her.

He looked like someone who knew what it meant to lose everything.

And for the first time in months, Ivy felt something stir in her chest that wasn't fear.

It was the flicker of purpose.