Chapter 145

The first crack didn’t come from exhaustion.

It came from opportunity.

Daniel wasn’t looking for it.

He had finally found rhythm—one steady commercial project at a time, flexible scheduling, predictable evenings. The chaos of two children had begun to soften into something manageable.

Then the call came on a Wednesday afternoon.

A large hospitality group had seen his café renovation online. They were opening three boutique hotels in the city and wanted him to lead the ...