Ghosts on the Promenade

Edie Van Der Zee, a sharp-tongued, rebellious teenager from a wealthy but broken family, prowls the glittering promenade of Todos Santos, California, targeting the rich for petty theft. Her life is a tangle of secrets: a mentally ill mother, a controlling, emotionally abusive father, and a brother, Theo, with severe disabilities, hidden away in a care facility. Edie's thefts are not for thrills but for survival—she needs cash to keep Theo in a good home, as her father withholds support to control her. When she tries to steal a purse, she's caught by Trent Rexroth, a brooding, silent financial mogul and single father, who instantly recognizes her as his business partner's daughter. Their collision is electric, setting off a chain of events that will upend both their lives.

The Mute and the Thief

Trent, known as "The Mute" for his stoic silence, is a biracial, self-made man with a painful past and a mute daughter, Luna. He's fiercely protective, emotionally walled-off, and haunted by abandonment. Edie, forced to work at her father's company as punishment, becomes Trent's reluctant assistant. Their initial encounters are fraught with antagonism, power struggles, and a dangerous, magnetic attraction. Both are outsiders in their own ways—Trent for his background and Edie for her refusal to conform. Their mutual disdain masks a growing fascination, as each recognizes the other's wounds and strength.

Seahorses and Secrets

Luna, Trent's daughter, refuses to speak, communicating only through gestures. Edie, herself an expert at hiding pain, bonds with Luna over their shared sense of isolation. She becomes the first person to coax a smile—and eventually a word—from Luna, using humor, patience, and genuine care. The seahorse, Luna's favorite animal, becomes a symbol of their fragile, unconventional family: rare, loyal, and misunderstood. Edie's presence brings light to Luna's world, and Trent, observing this, finds himself drawn to Edie despite every reason to resist.

Blackmail and Broken Homes

Jordan Van Der Zee, Edie's father, is a master manipulator, using Edie's love for Theo as leverage. He blackmails her into spying on Trent, convinced his business partner is plotting against him. Edie is trapped: betray Trent and save her brother, or defy her father and risk losing Theo forever. Meanwhile, her mother's mental health deteriorates, and Edie shoulders the burden of holding her family together. The pressure mounts as Edie is forced deeper into her father's schemes, even as her feelings for Trent grow.

Office Wars and Power Plays

At Fiscal Heights Holdings, the company co-owned by Trent, Jordan, and their notorious friends, Edie is thrust into a world of ruthless ambition and toxic masculinity. She's underestimated, objectified, and tested at every turn. Trent, both her boss and her adversary, oscillates between punishing her and protecting her. Their banter is laced with sexual tension, and their private encounters become increasingly charged. The office becomes a battleground—not just for business, but for control, trust, and the right to define their own lives.

The Girl Who Steals

Edie's skills as a thief are both a rebellion against her father's world and a means of survival. She steals not just money, but information—eventually taking Trent's iPad and, later, his coveted flash drive, under her father's orders. Each theft is a betrayal, but also a desperate attempt to save Theo. The guilt gnaws at her, especially as her relationship with Trent deepens. She is torn between the roles forced upon her: daughter, sister, thief, lover, and potential destroyer.

Luna's Silence, Edie's Noise

Edie's bond with Luna becomes the heart of the story. Through patience and mischief, Edie helps Luna find her voice, both literally and figuratively. In turn, Luna's trust in Edie softens Trent, who begins to hope for a future beyond his own pain. The three form a makeshift family, their moments of joy shadowed by the secrets and lies that threaten to tear them apart. Edie's presence is both healing and destabilizing, forcing Trent to confront his own fears of loss and vulnerability.

Forbidden Tides Rising

Unable to resist any longer, Trent and Edie embark on a secret, taboo affair. Their connection is raw, physical, and deeply emotional, but fraught with risk: the age gap, the power imbalance, and the ever-present threat of discovery. Their intimacy is a refuge from the chaos around them, but also a source of new danger. Both are addicted to the way the other makes them feel—alive, seen, and wanted. Yet, every touch is shadowed by the knowledge that Edie is still spying for her father.

The Price of Loyalty

As Jordan's demands escalate, Edie is forced to choose between betraying Trent and losing Theo. The flash drive, containing evidence that could destroy Trent's career and custody of Luna, becomes the ultimate bargaining chip. Edie's guilt and self-loathing reach a breaking point. She confesses her love to Trent, even as she prepares to hand over the flash drive. Trent, sensing her turmoil, offers her a way out, but Edie is determined to save her brother at any cost—even if it means sacrificing her own happiness.

Betrayal in the Boardroom

The truth explodes in a series of confrontations: Edie's theft is revealed, her father's criminal activities are exposed, and Trent's enemies close in. Jordan's vendetta against Trent is unmasked as personal and vindictive, rooted in jealousy and old wounds. Val, Luna's estranged mother, returns, threatening to take Luna away and further destabilize Trent's world. The boardroom becomes a battlefield, with careers, families, and futures at stake. Edie's betrayal nearly destroys Trent, but also sets the stage for redemption.

Fathers, Lovers, Enemies

Trent and Edie must confront the legacies of their parents: Jordan's cruelty, Val's abandonment, and the cycles of pain they've inherited. Edie's act of defiance—refusing to give her father the flash drive—breaks the chain of control. Trent, with the help of his friends, exposes Jordan's crimes and secures custody of Luna. Val is revealed as a gold-digger, uninterested in true motherhood. Edie, finally free from her father's grip, chooses her own path, even as she fears she's lost Trent forever.

The Flash Drive Ultimatum

The flash drive, once a symbol of betrayal, becomes the key to justice. Trent uses it to bring down Jordan, protect Luna, and secure Theo's future. Edie's testimony helps expose her father's abuse and her mother's drugging. The power dynamics shift: Trent is no longer the victim, but the architect of his own fate. Edie, having risked everything, is finally free to choose love over fear. Their reunion is hard-won, built on honesty, forgiveness, and the promise of a new beginning.

Collapse and Confession

In the aftermath, Edie and Trent confront the wreckage of their choices. Edie's mother is hospitalized after a suicide attempt, and Edie is left homeless and adrift. Trent, devastated by Edie's apparent betrayal, is forced to reckon with his own capacity for forgiveness. Both are broken, but not beyond repair. Through confession and vulnerability, they find their way back to each other, recognizing that love is not about perfection, but about surviving the storm together.

The Return of the Mother

Val's sudden return threatens to unravel everything Trent and Edie have built. She attempts to reclaim Luna, using Jordan's schemes and her own manipulations. But Luna, now stronger and more expressive thanks to Edie, rejects her mother's shallow overtures. Trent, with Edie's support, fights for custody and wins, exposing Val's unfitness and Jordan's criminality. The family that once seemed so fragile emerges stronger, united by choice rather than blood.

The Fall of a King

Jordan's arrest and public disgrace mark the end of his reign over Edie's life. His crimes—money laundering, drugging his wife, and emotional abuse—are laid bare. Edie is finally free from his control, able to care for Theo and her mother on her own terms. The victory is bittersweet, as Edie mourns the family she never truly had, but celebrates the one she's chosen. Trent, too, is liberated from the shadows of his past, able to embrace love without fear.

Tides Reunited

After months of separation, longing, and growth, Edie and Trent find their way back to each other. Their reunion is marked by humility, honesty, and a fierce commitment to building a life together. They acknowledge their flaws, their history, and the risks, but choose love anyway. Luna and Theo become siblings in spirit, and Edie and Trent, once adversaries, become partners in every sense. The ocean, once a symbol of chaos, now represents the wild, enduring nature of their love.

Building a New Family

Edie, Trent, Luna, and Theo form an unconventional but loving family. They navigate the challenges of trauma, difference, and public scrutiny with humor and resilience. Edie pursues her passion for surfing and teaching, while Trent balances work and fatherhood. Together, they create a home where silence is respected, voices are heard, and love is unconditional. Their story is not perfect, but it is real—and, for the first time, enough.

Strong Enough to Love

The final chapter is not about happily ever after, but about the daily choice to love, forgive, and fight for each other. Edie and Trent, scarred but unbroken, prove that strength is not about never falling, but about always getting back up—together. Their love, like the tide, is relentless, sometimes wild, sometimes gentle, but always returning. In choosing each other, they break the cycles of abuse and create a legacy of hope for Luna, Theo, and themselves.

Characters

Edie Van Der Zee

Edie is a fiercely intelligent, resourceful, and wounded young woman. Raised in privilege but starved of love, she is shaped by her father's emotional abuse and her mother's mental illness. Her devotion to her disabled brother, Theo, drives her to acts of desperation, including theft and betrayal. Edie's psychological complexity lies in her simultaneous vulnerability and defiance—she is both a victim and a fighter. Her journey is one of self-forgiveness, learning to trust, and choosing love over fear. Her relationship with Trent is transformative, forcing her to confront her own worth and capacity for happiness.

Trent Rexroth

Trent is a self-made financial powerhouse, marked by his biracial identity, a traumatic childhood, and the abandonment of Luna's mother. His stoicism and emotional distance are both armor and prison. As a single father to Luna, he is fiercely protective but often at a loss, struggling to connect with his mute daughter. Trent's attraction to Edie is both a source of renewal and danger, challenging his rigid control and forcing him to risk vulnerability. His arc is one of learning to trust, forgive, and accept love, even when it comes in unexpected forms.

Luna Rexroth

Luna is Trent's four-year-old daughter, selectively mute and deeply sensitive. Her silence is both a symptom of trauma and a form of resistance. Through Edie's patience and empathy, Luna begins to open up, finding new ways to communicate and connect. Luna's journey mirrors the adults around her: she must learn to trust, to risk, and to believe in her own voice. Her bond with Edie is transformative, offering both girls a sense of belonging and hope.

Jordan Van Der Zee

Jordan is Edie's father, a cold, controlling businessman whose love is transactional and whose power is absolute—until it isn't. He uses Edie's love for Theo as leverage, blackmailing her into betraying Trent. His psychological profile is that of a narcissist, obsessed with control, status, and revenge. His downfall is precipitated by his own hubris and the courage of those he sought to dominate. Jordan's legacy is one of destruction, but his defeat allows Edie and Theo to finally be free.

Theo Van Der Zee

Theo is Edie's younger brother, living with severe disabilities in a care facility. He is the embodiment of innocence and vulnerability, and Edie's love for him is the driving force behind many of her choices. Theo's presence in the story is a reminder of the costs of neglect and the power of unconditional love. His eventual rescue and integration into Edie and Trent's family is a hard-won victory.

Val (Valenciana Vasquez)

Val is Luna's estranged mother, whose abandonment of her child and subsequent return are motivated by self-interest rather than love. She is manipulative, charming, and ultimately shallow, serving as a foil to Edie's genuine care. Val's reappearance tests the bonds of the new family, but her inability to truly connect with Luna ensures that she remains on the outside.

Camila

Camila is Edie's former nanny and Luna's current caretaker. She provides stability, warmth, and continuity for both girls, often serving as the emotional glue in their fractured families. Camila's wisdom and kindness are a quiet but essential force for healing.

Bane (Roman Protsenko)

Bane is Edie's best friend and former lover, a rebellious, street-smart surfer with a rough exterior and a good heart. He supports Edie through her darkest moments, offering both tough love and practical help. Bane's presence underscores the importance of chosen family and the power of friendship to sustain us when blood ties fail.

Sonya

Sonya is Luna's therapist and Bane's mother, a compassionate, insightful woman who helps both Luna and Edie navigate their traumas. Her professional and personal guidance is instrumental in breaking cycles of silence and abuse. Sonya's own complicated relationships add depth to her role as healer.

The HotHoles (Vicious, Dean, Jaime)

Trent's business partners and lifelong friends, known as the HotHoles, are a mix of ruthless ambition and fierce loyalty. They provide comic relief, strategic support, and a sense of brotherhood. Their unwavering support for Trent is crucial in the final battle against Jordan and Val.

Plot Devices

Dual Narration and Shifting Perspectives

The novel employs a dual narrative, alternating between Edie and Trent's points of view. This structure allows readers to experience the same events through different emotional lenses, deepening empathy and tension. The shifting perspectives also serve to highlight misunderstandings, secrets, and the slow unraveling of trust.

Symbolism of the Ocean and Seahorses

The ocean is a recurring motif, representing both chaos and renewal. Edie's surfing is her escape and her rebellion, while Trent's fear of drowning in emotion is literalized in his relationship with

Last updated: May 10, 2025