Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1: The Weight of Expectations
The aroma of burnt toast clung to the cramped apartment.
Liam, eyes wide with a future brimming with possibility, clutched his worn suitcase.
This was it.
University.
The hallowed halls of a prestigious institution.
His family’s sacrifice.
Their hope.
Robert, his father, watched from the doorway.
Pride warred with a deep, gnawing anxiety.
His hands clenched.
The air thrummed with unspoken tension.
Chloe offered a tight smile.
Her encouragement felt brittle.
Her gaze skittered away when Liam’s met hers.
A cold dread settled in Liam’s gut.
A sharp rap on the door shattered the fragile peace.
A man stood on their doorstep.
Impeccably dressed.
A sharp suit.
A dazzling, practiced smile.
Mr. Blackwood.
“Future Scholars Foundation,” he announced, voice smooth as silk. “Here for early contributions.”
Robert’s face paled.
His hand trembled as he reached for the envelope.
Liam’s tuition money.
A significant chunk of it.
Blackwood accepted the thick wad of bills with another insincere beam.
A predator’s gleam in his eyes.
