Chapter 2: The Alleyway Debt
"Do you remember?" Arthur whispered, his voice trembling so violently that the surrounding diners leaned in, bewildered. "1996. An alleyway behind the old textile factory. It was freezing, Maria. I was starving, sick, and they were coming for me."
Maria blinked, tears pricking her eyes. She looked at the powerful, dangerous man on the floor, and suddenly, the years fell away. She saw a boy—gaunt, terrified, eyes wide with the trauma of a life on the streets. She remembered the half-loaf of bread she had hidden in her apron. She remembered whispering, “Run, little one, don't look back,” just seconds before the shadows had arrived to drag him away.
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She had thought he died that night.
"I never forgot," Arthur said, reaching into his suit jacket. "You didn't just give me bread, Maria. You gave me a future. And for thirty years, I have been waiting for the chance to give you yours."
