Ocean was a strikingly beautiful young Black woman from the island of St. Lucia. Her rich dark skin glowed like polished mahogany, and despite everything life had thrown at her, there was still fire in her eyes.

She had come to America hoping for a better future. Her aunt had agreed to let her stay in New York City until she could get on her feet. But the dream quickly turned into a nightmare. Her aunt's husband made unwanted advances toward her, and when Ocean refused to sleep with him, he convinced her aunt to throw her out.

She was left with nothing.

No money. No phone. No family she could trust. She didn't know anyone in America or where to find help. Within two weeks of arriving, she was sleeping on a park bench in New York City, surviving by searching through trash cans for scraps of food.

One cold night, while digging through a garbage bin, she heard muffled voices echoing through the trees.

Curious, she quietly followed the sound until she reached a secluded section of the park.

She froze.

A man was on his knees with his hands bound behind his back. Five men dressed in dark clothing surrounded him. One stepped forward and pressed a pistol against the kneeling man's forehead.

Ocean couldn't make out what they were saying.

Then—

Bang.

The gunshot shattered the silence.

The man collapsed instantly.

Ocean gasped and let out a terrified scream before she could stop herself.

Five heads snapped in her direction.

"Someone's there!" one of the men shouted.

Ocean turned and ran.

Her body was weak from hunger, exhaustion, and dehydration. She barely made it a few yards before her legs gave out. Two of the men caught her effortlessly and dragged her back.

The man who had pulled the trigger slowly approached her.

He was tall, broad-shouldered, and carried himself with the quiet confidence of someone who feared nothing. His sharp blue eyes studied her carefully.

When he finally looked into her face, he stopped.

For the first time that night, genuine surprise crossed his features.

He was captivated by her beauty.

In a deep Scottish accent, he asked, "Do you know who I am?"

Despite the guns pointed at her and the terror racing through her body, Ocean's St. Lucian spirit refused to bow.

She lifted her chin.

she replied in her thick island accent, "am I supposed to know who you are?"

She gave a small, sarcastic laugh.

The men stared at her in disbelief.

No one...

Absolutely no one...

Spoke to their boss like that.

One of the men chuckled nervously before quickly falling silent.

The Scotsman smirked.

Then his expression became cold again.

"What you saw here tonight," he said calmly, "never happened."

One of his men immediately objected.

"Boss, what are you doing? We can't just let her—"

The Scotsman shot him a single icy glance.

The man instantly lowered his head.

"My apologies, Boss."

The Scotsman turned back to Ocean.

"As I said... you saw nothing tonight."

As he stepped closer, he noticed the dirt covering her clothes, the tears in her shoes, and the unmistakable smell of someone who hadn't had the chance to bathe in days.

His expression softened ever so slightly.

"What are you doing in this park at this hour?"

The question broke something inside her.

Everything she'd been holding in since arriving in America came crashing down.

Tears streamed down her face.

"Do you think I want to be here?" she cried. "I've been in America less than two weeks... and now I'm homeless."

The Scotsman stared at her.

He couldn't understand how someone so young, so proud, and so breathtakingly beautiful could be living alone in a park.

He looked over his shoulder.

"Derek."

A large man stepped forward immediately.

"Yes, Boss."

The Scotsman didn't even have to explain.

Derek already knew.

Ocean watched him approach, panic rising in her chest.

"What are you doing?" she whispered.

Before anyone answered, she felt a sharp sting in the side of her neck.

She gasped.

Her limbs suddenly became heavy.

The world blurred.

The last thing she saw was the mysterious Scotsman watching her with unreadable eyes as darkness swallowed her whole.