Broken Dreams

7:50 am - Cruz Auto Repair

"Come on, come on..." Leo muttered, turning the key one more time. Nothing. Just that awful clicking sound that meant his day was about to get a whole lot worse.

He pushed himself out from under the hood of a client's ancient Honda and wiped his hands on his already-stained coveralls. The garage felt stuffy despite the morning breeze drifting through the open bay doors. Leo had been wrestling with this car since dawn, and honestly? He was starting to take it personally.

At twenty-five, Leo Cruz had learned that life had a twisted sense of humor. Just when you thought you had things figured out, boom...curveball to the face.

Take his military career, for instance. He'd actually loved it. The structure, the brotherhood, the sense that he was part of something bigger than himself. Then Captain Morrison's daughter decided she didn't like hearing "no" from a mechanic's son from the wrong side of town. One false accusation later, and Leo was facing a choice: fight a losing battle against politics and privilege, or cut his losses and get out with his dignity intact.

He chose door number two.

Coming home wasn't exactly the hero's welcome he'd imagined. Mom and Dad were gone—cancer had taken them both within a year of each other—leaving behind a mountain of medical bills and two kids trying to figure out how to be adults way too fast.

Mia was only seventeen then, brilliant as hell but dealing with sickle cell anemia that flared up at the worst possible times. Leo watched her pop pills for breakfast and pretend it didn't hurt, all while maintaining a 4.0 GPA and dreams of becoming a biochemist. She was tougher than he'd ever been, but that didn't stop him from worrying every single day.

So here he was, running Cruz Auto Repair in a neighborhood that couldn't decide if it was going up or down in the world. Most days, Leo felt like he was just treading water. The locals trusted him—word got around that the Cruz boy was honest and did good work—but honest work didn't always pay the bills on time.

Especially when those bills included Mia's medications and her college application fees.

Leo glanced at the cork board above his workbench, where Mia had pinned a photo of herself at her high school chemistry fair. She was grinning like she'd just discovered the cure for everything, holding up some blue liquid in a beaker. Next to it, she'd stuck a Post-it note that read: "Thanks for believing in me, big brother. PS - Don't forget to eat lunch!"

That girl. Even when she was the one dealing with pain and uncertainty, she was looking out for him.

The Honda's engine bay stared back at him accusingly. The client needed her car ready tomorrow morning for work, and Leo had promised it would be ready. He had a reputation to maintain in this neighborhood—people had to know they could count on him, even when everything else in their lives felt uncertain.

He rolled up his sleeves and reached for his tools again. One more try. There was always one more try.

Because somewhere in their little apartment above the mechanic shop, Mia was probably doing homework at the kitchen table, planning a future that Leo was determined to help her reach. And that made even the most stubborn engine worth fighting.

Monroe Tower

You know those houses that look like they belong in magazines? The Monroe estate was one of those—all marble and crystal and rooms that echoed when you walked through them. But right now, it felt more like a really expensive prison.

Ariella Monroe sat curled up on her mom's old reading chair, still wearing the silk robe that smelled faintly of her mother's perfume even after all these years. The bourbon in her hand had gone warm, but she didn't really care. Everything felt numb anyway.

Outside her bedroom door, she could hear Maria, the housekeeper, trying her best.

"Honey, I made those little pancakes you..."

Ari closed her eyes. Maria had been there since she was six—since the day her world fell apart and her mom just... left. No goodbye. No explanation that made sense to a kid. Just suddenly, it was her and Dad and a house that felt too big and too quiet.

The accident kept replaying in her head like a broken record. What if she killed someone? Just what if?

She took another sip and tried to ignore the ache in her chest .

Monroe Study

Three floors down, James Monroe was doing what he did best—putting out fires.

"I don't care if it's midnight in Tokyo, get Yamamoto on the line," he barked into his phone, running his hands through hair that was graying faster than he'd like to admit.

The headlines were already writing themselves.

Monroe Heiress Strikes Again. Is Ariella Monroe Unfit to Inherit?

Each one felt like a knife twist, not just because of what it meant for the company, but because of what it meant for his little girl.

He stared at the photo on his desk—Ari at twelve, gap-toothed and grinning after her first riding lesson. She'd been so proud that day, chattering nonstop about how she was going to have the best horse in the whole state.

When had that bright, determined kid turned into someone who seemed hell-bent on destroying herself?

James knew he wasn't winning any Father of the Year awards. After Elena left, he'd thrown himself into work because it was easier than dealing with the mess at home. Easier than explaining to a six-year-old why Mommy wasn't coming back. Easier than admitting that maybe he'd failed as a husband and was terrified of failing as a father too.

But every therapist, every rehab center, every second chance—nothing seemed to stick. And now the company his father built was on the line because his daughter couldn't stop running from whatever was eating her up inside.

He picked up his phone again. "Dave? I need the victim settled and compensated well, his treatments and all, make sure you take care of it. And keep the press quiet at your end, no long stories."

"Sure thing sir. "

The mechanic shop

Back at Cruz Auto Repair, Leo was having the kind of day that made him question his life choices. The Honda was finally running—turned out to be a simple alternator issue that had taken him hours to diagnose because had a lot on his head.

Mia had another doctor's appointment next week, plus her college applications were due soon. Those fees added up fast.

He walked up to the apartment where Mia was sprawled on their ancient couch, textbooks scattered around. She was supposed to be resting—her last flare-up had been brutal—but knowing his sister, she was probably working ahead on next week's chemistry homework.

"How you feeling, baby?" he asked, moving her books so he could sit down.

"Like I got hit by a truck, but the good news is I figured out why my molecular structures weren't balancing." She grinned at him, that same smile that kept him going on the tough days.

"What about you, how's work? I hardly see you around these days."

"All good"

"Are you going today?." Mia studied his face with those too-smart eyes of hers. "Or you quit?"

Leo sighed. "Wish I could, but the bills won't pay themselves."

"I know, right?"

"I'll see you ,later." Leo said, as he made for the shower. 

Mia frowned. "When?"

"Later, dear. Don't miss me too much", he replied as he smiled at her. She was the reason he was working so hard. The reason he'll return to the Monroe Estate.

But this time... he wasn't there to babysit a spoiled heiress.

He was there to survive.