OWNED BY THE WRONG HEIR

The eviction notice was still sitting on the kitchen table. Three days. That was all the time Ava Carter had before she and her mother would lose the tiny apartment they had called home for nearly ten years. She stared at the bright red letters while pulling on her diner uniform. FINAL NOTICE. The words seemed to mock her. Rent was overdue. Her university tuition payment was due next month. Her mother's medical bills continued to pile up. And despite working every spare hour she could find, Ava never seemed to get ahead. "You're staring at it again." Ava looked up to find her mother standing in the doorway. Her dark curls were tied back loosely, and despite her warm smile, the exhaustion in her eyes was impossible to miss. "I'm just thinking." Her mother walked over and folded the eviction notice before placing it in a drawer. "Then stop thinking about it for one night." "Mom—" "No." Her mother pointed a finger at her. "You're working too hard." Ava laughed softly. "I don't exactly have a choice." The room fell silent. Both of them knew it was true. Since her father died five years earlier, everything had changed. The bills. The responsibilities. The constant struggle to keep their heads above water. Ava had learned very quickly that life wasn't interested in being fair. Still, she refused to give up. One day she would graduate. One day she would become a lawyer. One day she would build a life where neither of them had to worry about money ever again. At least that was the dream. Her phone buzzed. A reminder for her evening shift. She groaned. "Late again?" Her mother nodded sympathetically. Ava grabbed her bag. "I'll be home after midnight." "Be careful." "I always am." Her mother smiled. "That's what worries me." The diner was packed. Customers came and went in a never-ending stream. Coffee orders. Dinner orders. Complaints. Tips. By the time Ava finally clocked out, her feet felt ready to fall off. The clock above the register read 11:43 PM. "See you tomorrow," her coworker called. Ava forced a smile. "Unfortunately." The two laughed. Outside, rain poured from the sky. Ava sighed. Perfect. She pulled up her hood and started the long walk home. The streets were nearly empty. Most people had enough sense to stay indoors during weather like this. The city lights reflected off the wet pavement, turning everything gold and silver. Normally Ava loved the rain. Tonight she barely noticed it. Her thoughts were consumed by numbers. Rent. Tuition. Bills. Debt. The familiar knot of anxiety tightened in her chest. What if she couldn't figure it out? What if they really lost the apartment? What if— A loud crash shattered the silence. Ava jumped. The sound came from somewhere ahead. Her pulse quickened. She stopped walking. For a moment everything was quiet except for the rain. Then she heard it. A groan. Soft. Painful. Coming from a nearby alley. Every survival instinct told her to keep walking. People who investigated strange noises in dark alleys didn't usually end up in happy situations. She should leave. She should go home. She should mind her own business. Instead, she found herself moving toward the sound. "Hello?" No answer. Another groan. Definitely a person. Ava swallowed hard. The alley was dark except for the occasional flash of distant headlights. Rainwater trickled along the cracked pavement. "Hello?" she called again. Still nothing. Then she saw him. A man slumped against the brick wall. His head was lowered. His black suit was soaked through. Blood stained the front of his shirt. A lot of blood. "Oh my God." The words escaped before she could stop them. The man's eyes opened. Ava froze. Something about him immediately made her uneasy. Not because he looked injured. Because he looked dangerous. His sharp features were impossibly handsome. Dark hair clung to his forehead. His jaw was tense. But it was his eyes that caught her attention. Cold. Calculating. The eyes of someone used to being in control. Someone who wasn't afraid. Even now. Even bleeding. "Are you okay?" she asked. Stupid question. Obviously he wasn't okay. The man gave a short laugh. "No." His voice was deep and rough. Ava stepped closer. "You need a hospital." "No." She blinked. "No?" "I said no." "You're injured." "I'm aware." Ava stared at him. Was he serious? "You've lost a lot of blood." The stranger slowly pushed himself upright. His face tightened with pain. A second later his legs gave out. Without thinking, Ava rushed forward. She barely caught him before he hit the ground. The moment she touched him, his hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. Hard. Ava gasped. His grip was powerful despite his condition. For one terrifying second she wondered if she had made a terrible mistake. Rain dripped between them. Neither moved. The stranger studied her carefully. As if trying to understand something. "Why?" he asked. Ava frowned. "Why what?" "Why help me?" The question surprised her. She didn't have an answer. Not a good one. Because it was the right thing to do? Because she couldn't leave someone bleeding in an alley? Because despite everything life had thrown at her, she still wanted to believe people deserved kindness? "Because someone should." Something flickered in his expression. Gone almost instantly. Slowly, he released her wrist. Ava helped him sit back against the wall. She reached for her phone. "I'm calling an ambulance." "No." "Again with the no." "You can't." "Watch me." A faint smile touched his lips. For the first time he looked almost human. Then headlights suddenly flooded the alley. Ava spun around. Several black SUVs roared around the corner. One. Two. Three. The vehicles stopped abruptly. Doors flew open. Men in black suits stepped out. Her stomach dropped. There were at least a dozen of them. Every single one looked dangerous. The strangers rushed forward. The moment they saw the injured man, their expressions changed. Relief. Respect. Fear. "Boss!" Boss? Ava looked back at the wounded stranger. The atmosphere shifted instantly. Even injured, he somehow seemed larger. More powerful. The men stopped several feet away as if afraid to approach without permission. One of them spoke. "We've secured the area." The stranger nodded once. "Good." The man lowered his head. "Are you hurt badly?" "I'll live." Nobody questioned him. Nobody argued. Ava felt a chill crawl down her spine. Who was this man? The stranger's gaze returned to her. Those cold eyes locked onto hers. "You should go home." Ava laughed nervously. "Trust me, that's the plan." One of the suited men handed him something. A small black card. The stranger looked at it before extending it toward her. Ava hesitated. "Take it." Slowly she accepted it. The card was thick and expensive. The kind she'd never seen before. Only one thing was printed on it. A name. LUCA MORETTI Nothing else. No company. No title. Just a name. "Tomorrow," he said. "What?" "Eight o'clock." Ava looked up. "Why?" For the first time, Luca seemed to consider his answer. Then he said quietly, "Because after tonight, your life is about to become very complicated." Ava's heartbeat stumbled. Before she could ask what he meant, another man hurried forward. "Sir, we need to leave immediately." Luca nodded. Without another word, the men helped him toward the nearest SUV. Ava stood frozen in the rain. Questions raced through her mind. Who was he? Why had those men called him boss? Why had he given her his card? The SUVs pulled away. Their taillights disappeared into the darkness. Silence returned. Ava looked down at the card in her hand. Just a name. Luca Moretti. She had no idea that by sunrise, she would discover exactly who he was. And that meeting him would change her life forever.