COLD HEARTS HIDDEN FIRE

raining

hadow over everything. From the small, cracked window of Room 6 at Saint Helena's Orphanage, Avery

was th

as le

gs: two shirts, a pair of jeans, a notebook filled with her thoughts, and an old photograph of her parents.

s last night. Not because she needed to-b

dy, Avery?" a soft voice

the only mother fig

d slowly. "

an. Your parents would be proud." Sist

hugged her. "Thank

fe that many would've given up on. But remember this, Avery: the world out there is c

hing. She was afraid

-

r the last time. No cheering. No goodbye party. Just the cold wind, the so

unknown. No one was waiting for h

e had

s, that had

-

st Nigh

f town. The room was the size of a closet, with a

night, s

silent tears on

sound of Sister Mel reading bedtime stories. The feel

y wiped her tears, pulled her s

-

ruggle

pent her nights studying business books from the library. Her dream was to open something of her

s didn't

s her hands bled from scrubbing floo

e neve

nside her, the

r, every time she heard someone laugh be

-

ears

ared girl who walked out of

much, but orders were coming in. She had saved up enough to move into a better

was stil

read about in books. Watche

earned to build walls too earl

't trust

-

and the

day morning, ev

she hoped to meet local investors. She held her umbrella close and r

n-b

ed with so

plashed all

're going!" a de

, blinking rain

ow stained with coffee. He had sharp features-chise

Avery said, cat

ook before stepping out. Too busy wi

furrowed.

, his eyes narrow

around and walked into a black

ivering from the cold

a j

Wolfe, CEO of Wolfe Enterprises-one of

lled coffee on his t

-

the

e her presentation at the expo and handed out her samples. A few

t like

ome tired

... when an email

Let's talk business.

at the scre

lf

couldn'

expo? Or... the m

hat their paths were

ould be the s

-

the Wo

sked, spinning the can

pitched her product at the expo y

say anything

The way she stood her ground. He didn't meet many people like that-espe

ke he was just anoth

rest

eting," he f

-

Chapte

o walk into the talle

ross from the same man she

idn't expect him to

's what

d voice and staring into those storm-gray

she couldn

s... a pair of jealous eye

aster had s

't going to

a candl