Chapter 3: Found by Fate
500 Words
The morning sun had barely risen when Lucia stepped onto the street, her basket of bread balanced on her hip. Her heart was still racing from the night before. She had secured an audition, but she had also lied to Annabelle. If her aunt ever found out, the consequences would be unbearable.
She shook the thought away and focused on selling. She needed to act normal.
“Fresh bread! Warm bread!” she called out, her voice carrying over the morning bustle.
The usual customers passed by, some stopping, some ignoring her. Lucia went through the motions, but her mind was elsewhere—on the stage, on the words she had spoken at her audition, on the possibility of escape.
She was so lost in thought that she didn’t notice the black luxury carriage parked nearby.
Inside, a man sat with his arms crossed, his sharp blue eyes scanning the streets. William Anderson had no business being in this part of town. He was a billionaire now, the CEO of his father’s company, and had the world at his feet. But something had drawn him here today.
He had heard whispers about a young girl selling bread on the streets—a girl with striking green eyes, just like Susie’s.
His heart clenched at the thought. Could it really be…?
“Sir, are you certain?” his driver asked hesitantly. “There are many beggars in this area. It may not be—”
“I have to see for myself,” William said firmly.
Just then, he spotted her.
A girl, no older than fourteen, with unkempt brown hair and weary green eyes. She was thin, too thin. Dressed in rags, gripping a basket as if it were her only lifeline.
William’s breath caught in his throat.
She looked exactly like Susie.
He stepped out of the carriage, his polished shoes clicking against the cobblestones.
Lucia barely noticed him at first, busy handing a loaf to a customer. But then, a presence loomed near her. A tall man in an expensive black coat.
She turned and met his gaze.
For a moment, the world seemed to stop.
Lucia stared at him, confused. There was something familiar about him, though she had never seen him before. His blue eyes locked onto hers, full of something she couldn’t place—shock, guilt… recognition?
“What’s your name?” he asked, his voice quiet but firm.
Lucia hesitated. “Lucia Clemmings.”
William’s heart pounded. That name. Her name.
For years, he had searched for any trace of Susie and the child he had never known. He had been too late to find Susie. But now, standing before him, was the daughter he had unknowingly abandoned.
He swallowed hard. “Lucia…” he murmured, almost to himself.
Lucia frowned, gripping her basket tighter. “Who are you?”
William took a slow breath, then spoke the words that would change her life forever.
“I’m your father.”
—
To Be Continued...
- Writer
