Agape || Rafe Cameron

Prologue

Among the many lies they had tried to make her believe, this one was undoubtedly the worst.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine. Everything will work out."

Those were her mother's last words before everything fell apart. The childhood she had been so reluctant to let go of had taken its fatal blow, and her parents' relationship had been its Achilles' heel. The downside of living in a world covered in gold was the harsh reality, and it had struck in the most brutal way possible for the young teenager, who stared vacantly at the yellowish horizon.

It had to be said, America was different.

Different from what she had loved and left behind. She had been trying to resign herself to her new life since her plane landed in Charleston, but she already missed the english accent terribly. She had traded her gray London skies for a bright one where the sun seemed to shine endlessly.

Lakelyn had only vague memories of the Outer Banks, all overshadowed by those of her homeland. She only remembered distant images. The Cameron house was one of them, if not the clearest. It was probably considered rude to forget her childhood friend, and she hadn't even thought of doing so. Their bond had survived the years and the distance, and was probably the reason she wasn't so anxious.

She would have liked to say the same about the eldest, but she harbored a deep disgust for him, rooted in sharp taunts. That was the only thing she remembered about him. His features must have changed over the years, but she was certain that the hurricane that had brewed in his eyes throughout her childhood hadn't died down.

But right now, the young woman just hoped not to get caught in that storm. Lakelyn had never liked conflicts—or at least, only when she wasn't in the middle of them. If her father had sent her back here, it was to distance her from the tense and stifling environment at home, one that had persisted for many years. The sight of the waves shimmering below the bridge almost confirmed the success of that mission. The large rusted sign already announced her arrival in the place of her childhood, and she couldn't wait to rediscover everything she had forgotten.

However, the realization of a completely different reality was rather unexpected. Her vision of Outer Banks had been painted during her few years at Figure Eight with an ink that could be called prosperity. A sealed cocoon that nothing and no one had been able to penetrate since, but which had just been loosened by the vision of this neighborhood filled with modest wooden houses.

But Lakelyn thought otherwise and had always hesitated to take over her father's business, which to her sounded like a melody filled with selfishness and disdain.

But nothing had ever been able to prevent her from staying within the elitist lines that had been drawn for her, and she met the expectations imposed on her perfectly. This elitist path was now leading her to her godfather's house, which would soon become hers. Without realizing it, the ebony wood had been traded for white stone that gleamed under the late afternoon sun. Figure Eight hadn't changed one bit. The rich were still just as rich, and they spared no effort when it came to showing it. A slight smile formed at the corner of her lips, and her gaze softened as the car slowed down. Nothing could ever surpass TannyHill when it came to flaunting wealth. And nothing could surpass the Camerons when it came to asserting their influence.

The gravel crunched under the tires of the blazing red Jeep, and the British girl couldn't contain a mix of anxiety and excitement. Her godfather meant as much to her as her own father, and she knew their bond had remained untouched by the distance. Perhaps seeing him from afar, already waiting to welcome her on the front porch, was why she never doubted the state of their relationship. Lakelyn hastily removed her headphones and stowed it in the bottom of her half-crushed backpack under the front seat. Her ears were reddened, sore from the device that had been stuck to her head for long hours. The car came to a soft screeching stop after one last turn, leaving the rear door facing the grand entrance of TannyHill.