Chapter 1 - Three Crumpled DollarsThe three dollar .
Five-year-old Nova stood her ground in scuffed sneakers and a sweater with sleeves far too long for her tiny arms. She lifted the money with a trembling hand, her dark eyes looking up at Rowan with an intensity that belied her age. Her voice was barely more than a whisper, yet it rang through the quiet corridor with shocking clarity: “Can you please let Mommy rest just one day?”
Rowan’s gaze shifted from the money to the security monitor mounted above the stockroom door. On the screen, Marigold Ellis moved across the showroom floor with fluid, delicate steps. To any customer, she appeared to be the picture of elegance and composure. But Rowan’s trained eye saw the subtle hitch in her stride, the slight sway of exhaustion, and the flesh-colored bandages tightly wrapped around her fingers.
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Before Rowan could speak, Marigold appeared at the end of the hallway, her face draining of color as she caught sight of her daughter standing before the store owner. She rushed forward in a silent panic, her hands trembling as she pulled Nova behind her skirt.
“Mr. Blake, I am so sorry,” Marigold stammered, her voice tight with terror. “Her preschool called with an emergency, and I had nowhere else to send her for an hour. She was supposed to stay hidden in the breakroom. Please... don't fire me.” Rowan stared at her cold and sharp, reminding her that personal liabilities had no place in an elite luxury house, leaving Marigold to retreat with her child in absolute fear for her livelihood.
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