Chapter 1 - The Harbor ChallengeVictoria Ashford was not used to failure. Failure belonged to other people—to men who sweated through cheap shirts, to companies that missed quarterly projections, to mechanics who smelled of diesel fuel and excuses. It certainly did not belong on the polished teak deck of her ninety-million-dollar superyacht, Aurora, beneath crisp white awnings while fifty of the most expensive marine engineers in the country packed their diagnostic gear and admitted defeat.
For three long weeks, Aurora sat motionless in the private marina. Three weeks, half a million dollars spent, and still the engines refused to turn over.
With her upcoming investment summit just five days away—where three hundred international investors and tech executives were set to board—Victoria stood at the upper railing in tailored white slacks and a navy blazer, hiding her boiling frustration behind dark sunglasses.
Her chief engineer, Coleman, stood nervously beside her. "We recommend a full propulsion overhaul, Ms. Ashford. It could take months."
Before Victoria could unleash her anger, a little girl's clear voice echoed across the quiet harbor. "My dad can fix anything!"
At the public pier next door, a young girl in denim overalls was pointing proudly toward a rust-streaked trawler where a broad-shouldered man was working on a small outboard motor.
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Desperate and spiteful toward her departing engineering team, Victoria walked down the gangway. "Your father can fix anything?" she challenged the girl, before looking at the man wiping grease from his hands onto a rag. "Fifty engineers just failed. If you can start my engines, I'll pay you fifty thousand dollars."
The man, Marcus Gray, looked at his daughter's hopeful eyes, then back at Victoria. "Give me two hours."
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