Hale

"ARE YOU SURE ABOUT this, Mr. ?" his driver asked worriedly.

"It's going to be fine, Sears."

"But once everyone leaves, and the emergency security system is up, we won't be able to come back for you. The doors will only open tomorrow."

clapped a reassuring hand over the older man's back. "Stop worrying and go. You've got family waiting."

And that, in a nutshell, was why he was opting to stay in the Sanctuary.

Memories of his childhood after his parents' death flooded his mind as soon as he found himself alone in his office, most of which he hated having to remember.

Thirteen was an awkward age to be sent to Social Services. Couples looking to adopt thought it too old but it was also too young to manage independent living. Foster care was the only option left for kids like him, but this could either be a massive hit or a sorry miss.

Fortunately for , the family he had eventually landed in was...bearable. The older couple had been blunt but decent: they had made it clear from the start that they wanted and the other kids to do housekeeping in exchange for giving them a place to stay. There was never money for extras, but they never had to worry either about being homeless or beaten up.

It might not have been a good life, but it could have been a lot worse.

These were the words he had lived by ever since the death of his biological parents. But in his younger years, he had thought such words would eventually change. Once he, Rush, and Mikey became successful, they could finally say they all had a good life.

But somehow, the emptiness was always there.

Even when they had all started building a name for themselves, and Mikey had enjoyed global fame while he and Rush had become self-made billionaires of their own right—-

The emptiness didn't go away.

And it still wasn't a good life.

By the time had celebrated his 30th birthday six years ago, the emptiness had turned into ennui, and in his desperation to feel something, he had decided to challenge himself by putting up an ambitious project like the Sanctuary.

Since his life in the worst neighborhood in Chicago had made him witness senseless violence even towards animals, Rush wanted this time to protect all the things he once hadn't the power or money to protect.

And for a time, the Sanctuary had served its purpose.

His ennui had faded.

For a time.

His feelings of emptiness were replaced by a sense of purpose.

For a time.

The Sanctuary had even become a source of pride - but also for a time - having won awards left and right for architectural excellence and wildlife conservation.

National Geographic had even described the whole of Sixty-Acre Woods as a modern-day Eden and the Sanctuary as a bed-and-breakfast set in Paradise.

All six of their luxuriously appointed suites had an eighteen-month waiting list, and last year alone, the Sanctuary had received a record-breaking 200 million dollars in donations.

Life had been good.

For a time.

But now, it felt as if life had gotten even worse.

Because of her.

remained on his feet as he watched the blinds in his office slowly roll down. This was also taking place in every room in the Sanctuary. The lights were still on at this moment, but even if they were to suffer from power loss, the Sanctuary had more than enough generators and solar-powered batteries to keep the place running for days.

The Sanctuary's resident cats and dogs had been temporarily rehomed with the staff. All of their staying guests had already checked out early this morning. It was just him now...and the hamsters.

got moving as soon as he remembered the furry little things. While he would never admit this out loud, and least of all to Devon and his wife, he had known from the start that he had nothing to worry about if they were in Heaven's care.

He would check on them all the same, make sure they had everything they needed for the night, and fuck!

Tension turned his entire body rigid when he caught sight of a figure running down the steps. It was too dark to tell who it was, but when the figure headed to the reception counter, and the desk light illuminated the person's face—-

"What the hell are you doing here?"