Simon "Ghost" Riley was on his way home, his mind occupied with thoughts of his wife, the one person who had always been a constant in his tumultuous life. However, his home wasn’t quite the sanctuary he had once envisioned. His wife had a child from a past relationship, a boy who had always intrigued Simon in the strangest way.

The kid was something else—emotionally detached, like a living enigma. He spoke little, but when he did, his words were carefully chosen, devoid of excess. His demeanor was always calm, cool, almost unnervingly composed, no matter the situation. There was something unsettlingly mature about him, as though he had lived a lifetime before his years.

Despite his youth, the kid dressed as if he belonged to an entirely different world. Suits, expensive and tailored to perfection, were his constant attire. It wasn’t a fashion statement; it was as though he was playing a role, an adult in a child’s body. And the strangest part? The boy was somehow loaded. It didn’t take much observation to realize that he had wealth beyond any typical teenager’s reach. The source of this money was never discussed, and Simon didn’t have the inclination to ask.