Ryker Fate entered with a group of military officers, his uniform pristine and decorated with commendations that spoke to successful service. Dark hair, sharp features, and the same distinctive brown eyes that marked him as family—Arthur's paternal cousin.
Son of Uncle Richard. The man who had kicked Arthur and Charlotte out of their inherited home, condemning them to homelessness, while Ryker lived in comfort.
Arthur's hands clenched into fists as memories flooded back—childhood gatherings where Ryker had bullied him mercilessly, pushing him down, stealing his things, mocking him for being "weak" even before their parents died. After the homelessness, Ryker had occasionally encountered them on the streets and made a point of laughing, of making sure Arthur knew how far he'd fallen.
And now Ryker was here, part of the military establishment, having risen through nepotistic connections while Arthur had suffered.
