A Terrified Student Steps Onto a Biker's Motorcycle and Uncovers Her Mother's Secret
Previously: Standing frozen in the snow, nineteen-year-old Chloe dreaded the arrival of the local motorcycle club. But when the leader stopped his bike, a life-changing secret about her late mother began to unravel.
Before Chloe could even swing her leg over the back of Marcus’s bike, the screech of tires echoed across the campus plaza. A sleek, black luxury sedan pulled up onto the snow-dusted sidewalk, completely blocking their exit. The door swung open, and out stepped Richard, Chloe’s wealthy and domineering ex-stepfather, flanked by a stern-looking man carrying a leather briefcase.
The Shadow of the Past
Richard’s face was twisted in a sneer as he glared at the motorcycles, then at Chloe. "What do you think you're doing, Chloe?" he demanded, his voice dripping with condescension. "Associating with this trash? You are coming with us. We have unfinished business regarding your mother's estate, and you are going to sign the release forms today."
Chloe shrank back, her old fears paralyzing her. Since her mother's passing three weeks ago, Richard had relentlessly hounded her, threatening to cut off her college tuition and leave her homeless if she didn’t forfeit her mother’s modest trust. She had felt entirely alone—until she found the old letters hidden in her mother’s jewelry box, letters addressed to a man named Marcus.
"She isn't signing anything, Richard," Marcus said, stepping off his motorcycle and standing tall between Chloe and the sedan.
Richard laughed mockingly. "And who are you supposed to be? Some mid-life crisis biker? This is family business. Step aside before I have the campus security throw you in jail."
Marcus removed his sunglasses, revealing eyes that matched Chloe’s own striking blue color. "I am her father," Marcus declared, his voice echoing across the courtyard. "The man you blackmailed her mother into leaving twenty years ago. But you don't have power over us anymore, and you sure as hell don't own my daughter."
”But you don't have power over us anymore, and you sure as hell don't own my daughter."