And after her mother’s passing, the quiet in Lila’s world only deepened.

Adrian tried to fill the void with things money could buy. He brought her dolls from Paris, a white pony stabled upstate, even private tutors in music and art. But still, the little girl with soft brown curls and wide, watchful eyes lived in silence.

The Chance Encounter

One crisp spring afternoon, Adrian’s chauffeured car pulled up to a busy plaza. He had a business meeting in the tower across the square, another negotiation that would bring him millions more.

“Stay here, sweetheart,” he told Lila as the driver opened the door. “I won’t be long.”