Inside, Samuel Whitaker, billionaire founder of a powerful tech conglomerate, stood rigid beside a polished mahogany coffin. Inside lay his only daughter, Clara, just twenty-two. She had reportedly died three days earlier in a horrific car accident. The coroner’s report was clear. The police were certain. Dental records confirmed the identity.

For Samuel, the world had stopped moving.

But outside, in the cold, Malik’s world was about to collide with his in a way no one could have imagined.

As the minister’s solemn voice filled the room, the heavy doors burst open.

A barefoot boy sprinted inside, his breath visible in the freezing air.

“Stop