Chapter 2 - The Silent Covenant
The next morning, the rain in Denver was relentless, washing over the grey concrete and turning the city into a watercolor of blues and grays.
Ava hadn't slept. She sat in the sprawling penthouse of the Hawthorne Tower, staring at a folder Marcy had delivered at dawn.
Name: Daniel Jesse Mercer
Age: 38
Occupation: Proprietor of "Mercer & Daughter Furniture Restoration," Eastbridge, Denver.
Financial Status: Heavily in debt. Two months behind on workshop rent. Outstanding medical bills from his late wife’s cancer treatment totaling $84,000.
Assets: A 2012 Ford F-150 with a failing transmission, and a rental home in a neighborhood where the streetlights had been shot out.
Ava traced her finger over Daniel’s mugshot-like driver's license photo. He was a man drowning in a system designed to sink people like him. Yet, he had walked away from a million dollars because of a dead man's necklace.
Why?
"The jewelry was never logged in the official rescue report," Marcy said, standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows with a cup of untouched coffee. "I called the retired sheriff who led the recovery of Nathan's body in Silverton. He confirmed that Nathan’s personal effects were gathered by his brother, Julian, before being handed over to you. The compass was never listed."
Ava’s breath hitched. Julian.
Julian Hawthorne, Nathan’s younger, ruthless brother, who had inherited the presidency of Hawthorne AeroSystems after Nathan’s death. Julian, who had spent the last eight years trying to push Ava out of the family foundation. Julian, who had always resented Nathan’s brilliant, compassionate mind.
"We’re going to Eastbridge," Ava said, standing up and grabbing her trench coat.
"Ava, the board meeting is in two hours," Marcy warned. "Julian is presenting the final buyout proposal for the Aurora land. If you aren't there—"
"Let him present it," Ava snapped, her eyes flashing with a fire Marcy hadn't seen in nearly a decade. "If that necklace is real, then everything I’ve believed about the last eight years is a lie. I’m going."
Twenty minutes later, Ava’s black SUV pulled up to a weathered, brick warehouse in a gritty industrial pocket of Eastbridge. A fading wooden sign hung crookedly over the door: Mercer & Daughter Restoration.
Through the dusty front window, Ava saw Daniel. He was wearing a grease-stained apron, his sleeves rolled up, working on the leg of a beautiful, hand-carved Victorian dining chair. Lily was sitting at a small desk in the corner, coloring with crayons, a half-eaten apple beside her.
Ava pushed the door open. A little brass bell chimed.
Daniel looked up, his shoulders instantly tensing as he recognized her. He set down his sanding block and wiped his hands on a rag.
"Mrs. Hawthorne," he said, his voice flat. "I believe I made myself clear last night."
"You did," Ava said, walking into the shop. The smell of beeswax, sawdust, and mineral spirits filled the air, a strangely comforting scent that reminded her of Nathan’s workshop. "But I didn't come here to buy the necklace today, Daniel. I came to offer you a job."
Daniel let out a dry, humorless laugh. "A job? I’m a furniture restorer. You live in a palace made of glass and steel. What could you possibly need me to fix?"
"My husband’s legacy," Ava said, stepping closer. She looked at Lily, who was watching her with curious, bright eyes. Ava softened her expression, giving the little girl a small smile before looking back at Daniel. "Nathan had a private collection of antique wooden aviation instruments. Since his death, they’ve been sitting in storage at the estate, rotting. The wood is warping, the brass is tarnishing. I want you to restore them."
Daniel narrowed his eyes. "You have access to the best restorers in the world. Why me?"
"Because you understand things that are broken," Ava said quietly, quoting his own speech back to him. "And because I will pay you fifty thousand dollars for the project. Half upfront. Today."
Daniel gasped slightly, his gaze darting to Lily, then to the stack of unpaid bills sitting on his desk. Ava saw the agonizing conflict in his eyes. He knew it was a bribe. He knew she was using this to get close to him, to the necklace. But fifty thousand dollars was freedom. It was a future for his daughter.
"And what's the catch?" Daniel asked, his voice raw.
"No catch," Ava said. "Except you have to do the work at my estate. And you have to wear that necklace every single day you work there."
May you like
Daniel stared at her, his jaw working as he weighed his pride against his daughter’s security. Slowly, he looked down at Lily, who gave him a hopeful, innocent nod.
Daniel let out a long, defeated breath. "When do I start?"
