The Hart Legacy: Book 1 Before the Silence

Luis Almada Romance

Sebastian Hart never had a chance to know his mother.She died the day he was born, and from that moment forward, his father, Richard Hart, never looked at him the same way. To Richard, Sebastian wasn’t a son—he was a reminder of the woman he had lost.Growing up in a mansion filled with wealth but empty of affection, Sebastian spent his childhood desperately trying to earn his father’s love. No matter how cold Richard was, no matter how many birthdays he forgot or achievements he ignored, Sebastian remained loyal. Deep down, he believed that if he tried hard enough, one day his father would finally see him as a son instead of a burden.By sixteen, Sebastian had learned to expect disappointment from his family.Then he met her.Emily Carter attended a rival school across town. She was smart, stubborn, funny, and completely unimpressed by Sebastian’s family name. Their first meeting was far from romantic, ending in an argument during an academic competition. But what began as irritation slowly turned into friendship, and friendship became love.For the first time in his life, Sebastian felt seen.Emily loved him for who he was, not for his wealth or family reputation. Around her, he didn’t have to be perfect. He could laugh, make mistakes, and dream about a future beyond his father’s shadow.Their relationship survived everything that should have torn them apart. Rival schools, family expectations, university plans, and the uncertainty of young adulthood only brought them closer together.By the age of twenty, they were inseparable.When Sebastian proposed, Emily said yes without hesitation.The future finally seemed bright.They planned their wedding, discussed where they would live, and dreamed of building a family far different from the broken one Sebastian had grown up in.Then everything changed.One month after their engagement, Richard Hart died unexpectedly from a heart attack.Despite years of emotional neglect, Sebastian was devastated. Richard was still his father, and some small part of him had always hoped they would eventually reconcile.After the funeral, Sebastian began sorting through his father’s personal and business affairs.What he discovered shattered his world.The Hart family business, long viewed as one of the most respected companies in the country, was secretly collapsing.For years, Richard had hidden enormous financial losses. In desperation, he had borrowed money from increasingly dangerous sources to keep the company alive. What began as legitimate business loans had evolved into deals with ruthless investors, criminal organizations, and powerful men who operated far outside the law.The debts totaled hundreds of millions.And now that Richard was dead, those people wanted repayment.Immediately.As the sole heir to both the company and the debt, Sebastian became their target.At first, he believed he could fix the situation.He worked day and night studying contracts, negotiating with creditors, and trying to save what remained of his family’s empire.Then the threats began.Anonymous phone calls.Letters left at his home.Vehicles following him through the city.One night, he received an envelope containing photographs of Emily leaving work, shopping, and walking home.Attached was a simple message:“You’re not the only one who can pay.”Fear unlike anything he had ever experienced gripped him.For the first time, the danger wasn’t directed at him.It was directed at her.The woman he loved.The woman he was supposed to marry.Sebastian knew Emily would never willingly abandon him. If he told her the truth, she would stand beside him no matter how dangerous things became.And that was exactly what terrified him.Believing he was protecting her, Sebastian made the worst decision of his life.Without explanation.Without a goodbye.Without a single word.He vanished.Emily woke up one morning to discover the man she loved had disappeared.His phone was disconnected.His apartment was empty.Every attempt to contact him failed.Days became weeks.Weeks became months.No answers ever came.The pain of losing him was made worse by the mystery.Had he stopped loving her?Had he found someone else?Had their entire relationship been a lie?She had no way of knowing.Eventually, she stopped searching.Not because she stopped loving him.Because she could not survive waiting forever.Over the following decade, Emily rebuilt her life piece by piece.She focused on her career, developed a reputation as a talented business strategist, and slowly learned how to live with the wound Sebastian had left behind.The heartbreak never fully disappeared.It simply became part of her.Meanwhile, Sebastian fought a war nobody knew existed.For years he battled creditors, criminal organizations, and the consequences of his father’s mistakes.He sacrificed everything.His relationships.His happiness.His youth.His peace.While others his age built families and pursued dreams, Sebastian worked endlessly to save the company and eliminate every threat connected to the de

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