The Redbee mansion was vast, golden chandeliers glittering above, but it always felt too quiet. Too empty.
A little girl with big brown eyes sat curled on a velvet chair, clutching a photo frame almost as large as her arms could hold. The smiling woman inside the frame looked so alive, so warm, so perfect.
"Mommy…" Lizzy whispered, her tiny lips trembling. "When are you coming back?"
The silence that followed was louder than thunder.
From the doorway, a man froze. Alexander Redbee—one of the richest and most feared businessmen in Pennsylvania—felt his chest tighten. He had conquered companies, destroyed rivals, and built empires. But seeing his two-year-old daughter begging for a mother who would never return… it broke him.
Slowly, he knelt beside her. His hand, used to signing million-dollar contracts, trembled as he stroked her hair.
"Lizzy," he said softly, forcing his voice not to crack, "Mama… can't come back. She's gone to the stars."
The little girl blinked, confused. "But… why can't she visit me?"
Alexander swallowed. He couldn't give her the brutal truth. Instead, he gave her the only thing he could. A promise.
"I can't bring Mama back," he whispered, "but I will make sure you never feel sad or alone again. I'll give you the whole world if I must."
Her tiny fingers gripped his shirt. "You promise?"
He forced a smile. "I promise."
That night, as the city lights glittered outside the mansion windows, Alexander swore silently to his late wife: I'll protect our daughter, no matter what it costs.
---
Fifteen years later.
Lizzy Redbee was seventeen now, and every bit as striking as her late mother. Her auburn hair fell to her shoulders, and her eyes—those same innocent brown eyes—now held curiosity, intelligence, and something Alexander feared: a hunger for more than he could control.
She stood before the massive glass windows in her father's study, watching the sunset paint Agriso Town in glowing gold. The bustling jewel of Pensuvenia was their home now, far from where she was born.
"Papa," she said suddenly, turning toward him, "do you ever regret moving here?"
Alexander, buried in a stack of contracts, looked up. His hair was slicked back, his suit crisp, but when he saw her frown, his sharp eyes softened.
"Why do you ask, Lizzy?"
She hesitated, fiddling with her fingers. "I just wonder… if Mama would've wanted me to grow up here."
The name Luenda was rarely spoken, yet always present. It hung in the air like perfume that never faded.
Alexander rose, crossed the room, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Your mother would've wanted you happy. Agriso gives you the best chances. And I…" He exhaled slowly. "I wanted to give you a place where the memories didn't hurt so much."
Lizzy leaned into him, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't even know if I belong anywhere."
Alexander chuckled softly. "Is that what troubles my little princess?"
She glared lightly, cheeks puffing. "Papa!"
His laugh deepened. Then, with a glint in his eye, he said, "That's why I've already arranged something."
Lizzy blinked. "Arranged… what?"
He smiled mysteriously. "Tomorrow, you're starting at Helios Institute of Technology. The best school in Pennsylvania."
Her jaw dropped. "What?! You didn't even tell me?!"
"Surprise." His grin widened. "You'll thank me when you see it."
Lizzy's stomach twisted with a storm of emotions. Nervousness. Curiosity. Excitement. Could she really fit in a place like that?
That night, lying in her bed, she whispered to the dark ceiling: "Mama… I'll try. I'll be brave."
---
The next morning.
Agriso Town was alive with the roar of expensive cars and glowing billboards as Alexander's sleek black car stopped at the iron gates of Helios Institute of Technology.
Lizzy's eyes widened. The school wasn't just a school. It was a kingdom. Glass towers stretched toward the sky, golden crests sparkled above the entrance, and its motto shone in bold letters: Knowledge is Power, Integrity is Eternal.
Students bustled in the courtyard, their crisp uniforms glowing under the sun. Some stopped to stare as Alexander stepped out of the car, his reputation preceding him. And when Lizzy followed… the whispers started.
"Redbee's daughter…"
"She's gorgeous!"
"I heard she's transferring straight into the honors class…"
Lizzy flushed, hugging her bag tightly.
"Remember," Alexander murmured, bending slightly toward her, "you are a Redbee. Walk tall."
She nodded, forcing her legs to move.
Inside, the courtyard buzzed with energy. But just as Lizzy tried to steady herself—
Thud.
She collided with someone. Books scattered across the floor.
"I—I'm so sorry!" she gasped, kneeling quickly.
But when she looked up, her breath caught.
The boy standing before her wasn't just any student. He was tall, his hair a dark mess that made him look effortlessly cool, and his obsidian eyes locked onto hers with an intensity that made her heart stumble.
He smirked faintly, bending to pick up her book. "You're new." His voice was smooth, low, teasing.
Lizzy's cheeks burned. "Y-yes."
He handed her the book, his fingers brushing hers for the briefest moment. "DeAndre Lu Chang," he said casually, as though the name wasn't already whispered by half the school.
Lizzy stammered, "I'm Lizzy."
He tilted his head, repeating softly, "Lizzy…" as if testing her name on his lips. Then his smirk widened. "Welcome to Helios Institute of Technology. Try not to get lost."
And just like that, he walked away, leaving Lizzy frozen, clutching her book to her chest.
Her heart wouldn't stop racing.
---
From an office above, Principal McDave stood by the window, arms crossed. His sharp eyes had been watching the new transfer since she arrived. He expected the whispers, the stares—she was the Redbee heiress, after all.
But what he hadn't expected was this. DeAndre Lu Chang, the aloof boy who usually ignored everyone, had actually spoken to her.
McDave's lips curved into a thin smile. "Interesting… very interesting."
---
That night, Lizzy lay awake again, hugging her pillow, replaying every second of the encounter. She didn't know what tomorrow would bring, but for the first time in years, her chest buzzed with anticipation.
Meanwhile, in his study, Alexander poured himself a glass of wine. His eyes lingered on the portrait of Luenda, his late wife.
"Our daughter is growing," he whispered to the woman in the frame. "And I'll protect her… even from the shadows I've created."
Neither Lizzy nor Alexander knew it yet, but the bonds they were about to form… would be the ones to change everything.