Never Left Me

Chapter 1

Lauren Allen sat at her desk in the bustling Sinclair Law Office, her fingers flying across the keyboard as she handled the influx of calls and emails that came with a typical Monday morning. The office hummed with activity–paralegals rushing by with stacks of documents, attorneys deep in conversation with clients, and the steady rhythm of phones ringing.

Lauren paused for a moment, glancing at the neatly organized piles of paperwork that awaited her attention. She had always prided herself on her efficiency and attention to detail, qualities that made her invaluable to the firm. Even on days like this, when the workload seemed endless, she found a certain satisfaction in her role.

As she sorted through the documents, her gaze drifted across the hallway to the office directly opposite her desk. The door was slightly ajar, offering her a clear view of Jonathan Sinclair, her fiance, as he spoke with a client.

Jonathan was in his element, gesturing animatedly as he explained the intricacies of a case. His passion for his work was evident in the way his gray eyes sparked with intensity, his voice steady and authoritative. He had always been this way, fully immersed in his work, driven by a deep-seated commitment to justice–a commitment that had been passed down through generations in his family.

Watching him, Lauren felt a wave of warmth and contentment wash over her. She allowed herself to imagine, just for a moment, walking down the aisle toward him, dressed in white, the culmination of all their plans and dreams. In a few short months, she would be his wife, and they would start their life together–a life she had always envisioned as perfect.

The thought brought a soft smile to her lips, momentarily distracting her from the work in front of her. But only for a moment. With a small sigh, she refocused on the task at hand, determined to stay on top of her responsibilities. The wedding could wait. For now, she had work to do.

Lauren was deep in her work, her mind focused on the task at hand, when she noticed one of the other paralegals, Jenna, walking toward her desk. Jenna's expression was unreadable, her steps brick as she approached.

"Lauren, there's a call for you on Line 2," Jenna said, her voice steady but with an undercurrent of something that made Lauren pause.

"Did they say who it was?" Lauren asked, her fingers stilling on the keyboard as she looked up at Jenna.

Jenna shook her head, a slight furrow between her brows. "No, they didn't give a name. Just said it was urgent."

A flicker of concern passed through Lauren, but she pushed it aside, assuming it was a client who didn't want to be kept waiting. With a quick nod, she reached for the phone, pressing the button for Line 2.

"This is Lauren Allen, how can I help you?" she said, her tone professional and composed, as she prepared to jot down a message or take note of a request.

But the voice on the other end of the line stopped her cold. It was her father, Mike Allen, and she could hear the strain in his voice, the way it trembled with barely contained emotion.

"Lauren..." he began, his voice thick with something that made Lauren's heart skip a beat.

"Dad? What's going on?" she asked quickly, her professional demeanor slipping away as a sense of dread began to build in her chest.

There was a brief pause, the kind that seemed to stretch on forever, before her father spoke again, his voice breaking slightly as he delivered the words that would change everything.

"Lauren...your mother...she lost her battle with cancer. She's gone."

The world seemed to still, the noise of the office fading into the background as Lauren struggled to process the words. For a moment, she couldn't speak, couldn't think, as the reality of what she'd just heard began to sink in.