Chapter 1 - Harvey

We learnt of Alicia Hardman's death from an article that Donna came across earlier today. The funeral had already began at that point but Jessica and I decided to pay our respects. So we left the office almost immediately and headed to the cemetery together.

Once we arrived, we approached the people that attended the service. However, we stayed a few feet away, watching from afar. My eyes gloss over the attendees quickly. Daniel is standing in the open in front of the casket, giving a eulogy that we can't quite hear from back here. Their youngest, Sarah, is besides him with her eyes stuck to the ground. I continue to search the crowd for more familiar faces.

"I haven't even thought about him in the last 5 years..." Jessica speaks up

"Me neither. But he looks relatively good" I admit

"Being a prick keeps you handsome" she claims

"Are you saying I'm handsome?" I smirk

She sighs, "The fact that you think the comment was directed at you makes you self-centered and vain at the same time"

"Doesn't mean it wasn't directed at me" I insist

"It was"

"Which means I'm also omniscient. And handsome" I smile

"You left out arrogant" she adds. "You and Daniel are cut from the same cloth"

"That's why I don't like him. There can be only one" I say in a deep voice

"We're at a funeral, and you're quoting Highlander?"

"Yeah, a lot of people die in it. Seems appropriate".

She rolls her eyes.

"You know the one key difference between me and him? He's a lying snake in the grass who'll say or do anything" I claim

"Mhm..." she responds.

I catch some movement from the other side of the crowd. My eyes land on a female figure who approaches the service but also keeps her distance like us. She's wearing a long black coat, big sunglasses and her black hair falls by the sides of her face covering the rest of her features. However, I am fairly certain I know who she is by the squeeze I felt in my chest the moment I saw her.

Anastasia Lucille Hardman.

Daniel and Alicia's oldest daughter; or -as he likes to believe- the forgotten one. He told everyone that she ran away from home and he buried her, until no one remembered she even existed among them for 22 years. Because her interest didn't align with his. Because she took her life into her own hands as an adult and didn't follow the path he prepared for her. But, despite his attempts to sabotage her, she thrived. She moved to the other side of the country and followed her dream. And she stayed on the west coast; San Jose, Phoenix, Portland and finally Seattle.

It would be awesome if she stepped forward right now and proceeded to stick it to Hardman in front of everyone. She should remind him of her existence and show him how he failed to drag her down the mud while showing everyone what a piece of shit he truly is. But she was never that kind of person. She is her mother's daughter. Alicia was heartbroken when she left, and I can only hope that the two of them had stayed in touch. If not, Sarah -who was only 4 years old back then- may not even remember her older sister anymore. I wish they both remembered her for who she truly was and not the ungrateful girl who ran away that Daniel likes to paint her as. It would be a shame if Alicia never truly knew of her daughter's character and successes while carrying her family's name.

Dr. Anastasia Lucille Morgan, Pediatric Surgeon.

•••

After a heated conversation with Jessica, I grab my things from my cubicle and leave without a second thought. I head to the gym -most specifically the boxing ring- to blow off some steam. I change in the lockers and sit on the bench for a moment, dropping the gloves on the ground, in order to check my phone before stepping in the ring.

"Agh!" a screech followed by a thud makes me jump.

Everything happened in less than a second and before I realize it, there is a girl laying on the floor in front of my feet. I look at her legs and realize that she tripped on the gloves I threw down a moment ago.

"I am so sorry" I say as I help her up

"You should be" she groans as she sits on the bench

"Well, I know I shouldn't have dumped the gloves in the middle of the way, but you also should be looking where you're going" I admit as I check her knees for injuries

"That would be amazing if I could actually see; I'm almost blind without my glasses" she points to her face.

That's when I look up and take a good look of her face for the first time. Her round hazel eyes draw me in immediately.

"Anyway, I didn't come here to chat..." she says as she pulls her long straight jet black hair back into a ponytail, revealing every corner of her heart-shaped face. I scan her golden complexion to spot any other markings, but there are none. And then, my eyes fall to her rosy full lips. She is young, I'm guessing early 20's.

She stands up and I clear my throat. "Are you sure you're ok?" I ask as I help her gather her things from the floor

"Yeah, I'm fine" she answers, not very convincing.

She sounds even more pissed off than I was when I came in. "Bad day?" I wonder

"Yes. And it doesn't seem to get any better" she sighs

"Maybe I can help make it better" I smirk

She stops, "Maybe you can..." she smiles. She takes off her sweatshirt, revealing her blue sports bra that matches her leggings. But my eyes focus on the clear outline of her nipple piercings.

Sugar tits.

That's so hot.

She bends down, grabs my gloves and tosses them at me. "Step in the ring, player" she says and heads in.

I chuckle.

"What? Are you scared?" she mocks

"No. But I will feel bad after beating up an -almost- blind girl" I say as I study her figure

"You don't have to worry about that. You're not going to be the one who will feel bad about beating someone afterwards" she states as she puts on her gloves

"I never feel bad for winning, sugar" I admit, keeping the other half of the name to myself

"Call me sugar again, and I'll knee you in the dick" she warns me

"Got it".

"But you're right, I won't feel bad for beating you. Consider it revenge for making me trip" she adds.

"Well, if that's the case, I'm not one to let go of a challenge" I step in the ring with her.

She rolls her neck, rolls her shoulders a couple of times and takes turns stretching each arm across her chest as she waits for me.

"May I know your name before I win, so I can gloat properly?" I wonder

"No" she smirks and raises her fists.

"Alright" I chuckle. "May the best man win"

"It's not going to be a man" she states

I was looking at her nipple piercings again when the first shot landed into my jaw, snapping my head back.

"Less talking, more punching, pretty boy" she says

"Aww, you think I'm pretty?" I reply cheerily despite my head still ringing like the inside of a bell

"I say all kind of untrue stuff when I'm not wearing my glasses" she reminds me

"Right..." my fist plows into the side of her face. She stumbles sideways before recovering with a grin.

I feign another punch and she ducks this time. However, she catches me with an uppercut right to the solar plexus that knocks the breath right out of me. Taking advantage of my state, she swigs again, aiming for my head but I block her.

"Not bad for a beginner" I say, trying to distract her

"Who says I'm a beginner?" she asks

"Your moves"

"You don't know anything about my moves. And you don't know anything about me" she swings. I block it, but not well enough because she still got the left side of my face.

I attempt an uppercut, but the moment I extend my arm, she lands a punch to my eye. It was so fast, almost automatic.

"Lucky" I grunt

"Bull. Shit." she punctuates each word with a fast jab.

We continue to trade blows in a well-paced manner. It is so good that even the other patrons of the gym stand back to watch. But we don't bother and don't dare to look away from each other. We are both panting and dripping of sweat.

If she looks this good sweaty, imagine how good she'd look sweating in my bed. God, I sound like a horny teenager. And almost like she heard my thoughts, she throws an elbow that catches me squarely on the chin, followed by a shot to the gut.

•••

Daniel finishes his speech and people walk up to him to express their condolences. We take a few steps closer as well and wait for the other to go first.

"I got to say, up close, I feel bad for him" Jessica confesses

I clear my throat as my attention returns to her, "Just don't forget why we're here" I say as I watch him come over.

"Jessica. Harvey" he almost smiles

"Daniel, I'm sorry for your loss" Jessica says

"Thank you"

I take my sunglasses off, "My condolences" I speak up

"Doesn't sound the same, coming from you" he replies

"You have my sympathy for your wife, but I don't pretend this is page one in the story".

"You must think I hate you both" he tries to guilt trip us with that innocent act of his

"Well, that might have something to do with the fact that I was listening the last time you spoke to me" Jessica reminds him

"I was pissed, wasn't I?"

"You threw your phone at my head" she adds

"I did miss though" he responds

"That's because you throw like a girl" I reply

"You're still angry, Harvey, and I don't blame you. But what you don't understand is the last five years have changed everything for me"

"How so?" I wonder

"I reconnected with Alicia. I cared for her. I know you can't get back lost time with your family, but you can make up for it. Look at Sarah... I never really knew her, and now I do" he explains

"Last time I saw her, she was a little girl" Jessica admits

"She just graduated high school. Going to Harvard, this fall" he informs us

"I bet you're proud" I assume

"I'm very proud of her" he smiles.

"...of her"

That moment, my eyes trail back to Anastasia. She puts her sunglasses on her head as she approaches her mother's final resting place. She leaves flowers on her grave and stays there for a second longer. She kisses her hand and touches the casket. Then she whispers something before walking off.

"The truth is what you did to me was the best thing anyone could have done for me" Daniel continues

"Does that mean you're coming back?" I ask him, point blank.

"It's my wife's funeral, Harvey. I haven't given it any real thought yet" he acts offended by my question. "I am a changed man. And I have both of you to thank for it" he states and walks away.

"You actually buying that bullshit?" I ask Jessica

"Not for a second. He's coming for us" she agrees

"I can stop him before he even gets through the door" I claim

"I don't see how you're gonna be able to do that"

"I have some extra motivation" I state as I watch Anastasia get in a black BMW and drive off.

Welcome home, Ana.