Stardust and Kisses

Resilience

Heather

Come on, sunshine! Keep your eyes on me. Everything will turn out fine. My father’s voice echoed in my head as he ran ahead of me, his laughter brightening the air. I reached out, chasing his fading figure. But then, as always, he disappeared, leaving me in a puddle of confusion and sorrow.

I bolted upright, choking on the memories. Another misty morning, another reminder of the gaping hole left in my life. It’s been five years, and still, not a damn day goes by without thinking of him. My mind dragged me back to that day—the day they rushed him into the emergency ward.

The doctors warned him that his time was running out. When I finally made it to his side, Delilah was already there with her daughter, Esther. Delilah—my so-called stepmother—who my dad thought would be some sort of "mother figure" for me after she wormed her way into his life. But I knew better. She didn’t love him. She loved his money. Mr. Harrold Castro, a former mayor with a fortune to his name, was just a golden ticket for her and her child.

I never connected with her. Not once in all the time did she spend with us. But Esther—Esther had a sweet side, though she’d taken after her mother early on.

When my dad saw me, he signaled for me to get closer. I brushed past Delilah and Esther and settled next to him, trying to hold myself together. His hand reached for mine, and I gripped it as tightly as I could. "Papa loves you, sunshine. Take care of yourself. Papa’s sorry he can’t stay with you." His voice was broken, a weak smile on his face, even as tears welled in his eyes.

"I love you, Papa," I whispered, kissing his hand. Tears rolled down my face despite his soft, "Don’t cry, sunshine."

And just like that, he was gone.

It was only later that I uncovered the truth. My father had been poisoned. Twice. Delilah wanted everything—his money, his estate, all of it—with Esther set as the sole nominee. She even bribed the doctor to fudge the autopsy report. But I wasn’t about to let that slide. I pulled every string I could, used every bit of influence I had, and now Delilah’s rotting in a cell. As for Esther, she vanished. Gone, just like that. And I’ve been searching for her ever since.

I’m Heather Castro, by the way. Prosecutor. I was heading to my office today because I had a meeting with Mr. Adam D'costa, my dad’s college friend. They were close, like brothers. He’s always looked out for me, especially after my dad passed away. But last night, something in his voice worried me. He sounded… off.

On the way to work, I grabbed a coffee and barely got through the door when Nash, my assistant, practically bolted toward me. "You’ve gotta see this," he said, thrusting his tablet into my hands. There it was, in glaring headlines: Aaron D’costa, the pop star, was rumored to be gay amidst serious allegations against the idol.

Suddenly, the pieces clicked. No wonder Mr. D’costa wanted to meet me. I called him immediately, suggesting I come to his place instead, and he sounded relieved. "Thank you for calling, Val," he said, his voice heavy with gratitude.

Fifteen minutes later, I pulled up in front of the D'costa mansion. I had barely got through the front doors when a tall, curly-haired guy with a genuine smile greeted me.

"Hello, madam. I’m Jasper Kingfisher, Aaron D’costa’s manager," he said, extending his hand.

I shook it and offered him a polite smile. "Heather Castro. I’m here to see Mr. D’costa," I said, handing him my card.

He nodded and led me to the study. "He’ll join you here shortly," Jasper said, disappearing into the hallway.

Moments later, Mr. D'costa walked in, and damn, the man looked wrecked. His eyes were shadowed with worry, his whole posture screamed exhaustion. Seeing him like this felt like a punch to the gut.

He embraced me, his voice soft but strained. "Lovely to see you after so long, sunshine."

I smiled up at him. "It’s been too long. How are you holding up?"

He let out a tired sigh as we sat down. "Not well, child. You know what Aaron’s been going through. It’s killing me to watch him suffer like this."

"We’ll figure it out, sir. You have my word. We’ll get to the bottom of this mess," I said, trying to reassure him.

His eyes softened, gratitude flickering in them. "I’m so grateful."

"Please, don’t be. You were there for me when I lost my dad. And a father doesn’t need to thank his daughter," I said, my voice low.

He gave me a warm hug, and for a moment, I could feel the weight lift off his shoulders. "You’re so much like your father."

I left the mansion, knowing that this wasn’t going to be simple. Something stank about this whole situation, and I was damn sure I wasn’t going to let the D’costa family be torn apart like mine had been.

The truth was out there, buried under all the bullshit. And I was going to dig it up.