CHAPTER 1: Champagne Above Black Water

The Asteria looked merciful from a distance.
All glass decks, polished rails, and gold light spilling over the Atlantic, the Cross family yacht moved through the night as if wealth could calm the sea beneath it. Inside the grand salon, donors applauded speeches about children, safety, and legacy while waiters carried champagne no one needed.
Maren Cross stood on the upper deck with her six-year-old son pressed against her hip.
Leo’s tuxedo jacket was too warm for the salt air. His cheek rested against her shoulder, and one small hand clutched the satin of her emerald dress with the desperation of a child who understood more than adults wanted him to.
Above them, Gideon Cross leaned over the rail in a burgundy velvet tuxedo, silver hair bright under the deck lights. He looked less like a grandfather than a judge deciding whether mercy was worth the inconvenience.
Beside Maren, Vivienne Cross smiled with diamonds at her throat and ice in her fingers.
“Give him to me,” Vivienne said softly. “You are tired. Everyone can see it.”
Maren tightened her arm around Leo.
“Everyone can see many things tonight,” she answered.