Look Past Me Chapter 1

Everyone in the city of Crestfall knew that Asher Howard lived and breathed for me.

At a high-profile auction, he'd dropped a fortune on a pair of matching, priceless rings, just for us. For my eighteenth birthday, he rented out an entire private island.

This was the man who adored me.

And yet, when my sister was bullied to death, he did nothing.

Worse, he protected the one who did it.

I knelt before him, tears streaming down my face, begging him to get justice for my sister.

He gently wiped my tears away, his voice a soft caress. "Elara," he murmured, "I would give you the world. But this… this one thing I cannot do."

"Aria is my sister. I can't be the one to send her to her ruin."

* * *

Asher’s voice was a velvet whisper, but his words were a dagger to my heart.

He held out a legal settlement. "Be a good girl and sign this. I'll make sure your family is well compensated."

"Elara, you know I spoil you. Just this once, please? For me?"

I took the document, my eyes scanning the cold, printed words. My voice trembled as I read them aloud. "Following an investigation, the death of Sienna Moore has been ruled as natural causes. Aria Howard is considered an innocent party. The plaintiff agrees to this settlement, absolving her of all wrongdoing. The defendant agrees to pay the plaintiff twenty million dollars in compensation. Both parties consider the matter resolved."

"Well?" Asher asked, his tone expectant.

My hand shook, and a tear splashed onto the page, blurring the ink. I looked up at him, my voice raw. "Asher, are you even human? My sister was bullied to death by Aria. How can you call that 'natural causes'?"

He reached out, his thumb brushing away a tear on my cheek. "Elara, Aria is only sixteen. She's just a child."

"She didn't know what she was doing. Can't you find it in your heart to give her a second chance?"

Sixteen. What a pathetic excuse.

A bitter laugh escaped my lips. "And wasn't my sister sixteen? Who's going to give her a second chance? You think saying 'she didn't know what she was doing' erases what she did?"

"Elara!"

His eyes flashed with a warning. I knew that look. It was the one that always made me back down. But not this time. Not with Sienna.

I wiped my tears away with the back of my hand. "So, you're not going to help me. Is that it?"

"I would do anything else for you, Elara. You know that. But not this." His voice hardened. "And twenty million is more than enough to cover your sister's entire life. Even if she had lived, graduated, gone to college, gotten a job… even if she made a hundred thousand a year, she would never have earned this much. It's the same thing, Elara."

"What did you say?"

My heart stopped. I stared at the man in front of me, a complete stranger. Was this the same man who cherished me, who would move mountains to see me smile?

I stood there, frozen, letting the tears fall unchecked. A chill crept over me, deep and unsettling.

Asher’s expression softened again, his voice dropping to a coaxing purr. "Come on, Elara, don't be difficult. Once this is all over, I'll make it up to you. I'll get you something special. Okay?"

A sob caught in my throat. "And what about my sister? She adored you. She used to follow you around, calling you 'big brother.' Is this how you repay her?"

The pain in my chest was so intense I could barely breathe.

"I'm devastated about Sienna's passing too," he said, his voice laced with false sympathy. "But we can't bring her back. There's no need to ruin another life. Aria is young. She can't have this stain on her record. Elara, please try to understand."

Ruin another life?

A bleak emptiness spread through me. "If you won't help me, I'll find a lawyer myself."

I turned to leave, but he grabbed my arm, his grip like iron. His face was cold. "Elara, are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes." My voice was unwavering.

"I can guarantee," he said, his tone dropping to a deadly whisper, "that if you walk out that door, not a single law firm in this city will touch your case. You know I don't make idle threats."

My breath hitched.

I ignored him and walked out.