-

ims he and his father had made about a mystical portal beneath the sea. Their insistence on the portal's existence had turned them into

the one he'd known before. Once, life had been filled with comfort and privilege, his every need easily met. But now, the riches of h

er letting arrogance or entitlement cloud his judgment. He didn't flaunt his wealth or

d with purpose. The bustling crowd barely noticed him, yet he was keenly aware of every sou

ro

as it continued its way down the road, but then, from the car, a voice calle

ps we should help him

path. Chase instantly recognized the voice. Kayla. Her smile was too poli

ied himself with a palpable sense of superiority. At fifteen, he was a year older than Chase, but his

m, hoping to avoid the confrontation, but Hampto

t you be preparing for the apocalypse,

Hampton's nose. The satisfying crunch of impact made him feel a fleeting sens

UC

st among them, grinned wickedly as he took in the scene. He was built like a boulder, and his presence only made Chase feel smaller. Besi

react, he was sent crashing to the ground, pain exploding across his body. As Carter

ck into the car, panic spreading through him like wildfire. The engine roare

nd of another vehicle grew louder. He quickly bolted int

g attention. The door opened, and a leg emerged-long, slender, an

ith the kind of grace that made even the most seasoned models seem clumsy. Her striking feature

eps carrying her toward him. Her lips parted, and when she spoke, her

l you refuse to stop. A portal to another world, a fantasy. You really th

f you've come to make this worse, I suggest you leave. Time doesn't wait fo

not here because of you. Let me remind you-my father was the one who wrote the lett

ll impact of her words hit him. "Your f

thinking, he dropped to his knees and grabbed Kellie's shoe, his

u. Maybe if you speak to him, he'll listen. My father's ruin