A heavy wind blows on the Pacific Ocean as Samuel Thornton stands on his yacht, "American Buoy". With the winds picking up, the waves are starting to get larger, and more furious. Samuel, being an experienced captain, knows that he must get back to the marina sooner then later.

He rushes towards the helm and starts to turn the yacht around, just as another large wave crashes into the side of the vessel. For a moment, his heart skips a beat as he hasn't been out on waters this rough in a long time. He shuts his eyes and smiles when he thinks of his family; his wife, Kymberlynne, and their three children, Lyzz, Liam, and Rachelle. He knows that they have issues, like any family, but he loves them more than anything else in the world.

And then, of course, there is his other baby, his company: Meccanica. Meccanica is the parent company that owns multiple high-end resorts around the world. The most recent resort that Meccanica launched is the Barracuda Blue, which is on Maui, Hawaii. Because the resort is so new, he, and his family, are living in Maui currently, so he can over see the day to day at the resort until it is up and running smoothly.

He started the company 5 years earlier because Orvilla Anderson, Kymberlynne's sister, suggested that it would be a good idea for a company. He took it and ran with it, and now, Meccanica is a multi-million valued organization. He, sometimes, wonders how Orvilla truly feels about him using her idea to create this dynasty, but he has always treated her well as a result.

He opens his eyes and realizes that the waves are getting more and more intense. He moves to the radio to put in an SOS, but just as he grabs it, he is clubbed over the head with a club. A figure, dressed in all black, peers down at Samuel's unconscious body and, then, starts to drag him away.

/\/\/\

"What do you mean, Samuel is….dead," a flabbergasted Kymberlynne Thornton gasps as she stands in the lavish living room of Thornton mansion, which is on the Northern side of Maui, Hawaii. In front of Kymberlynne are two police officers, who have informed her that her husband, Samuel Thorton, is dead. Her head is spinning at the thought that her husband is really gone; they have been through so much together, but to think that she will never see him again, is too much for her to bare.

"We hate to be the ones to tell you this," one of the officers tell her. "But there was an accident on his yacht; the winds on the pacific were very strong, and while he was trying to secure the anchor, he fell into the water and drown."

Water floods Kymberlynne's eyes as she thinks about her husband not being with her anymore. They have been married for ten years, and have three children, Elyzabeth, who goes by Lyzz, Liam, their only son, and Rachelle, their youngest daughter. She can't even begin to comprehend telling them that they will never see Samuel again. And then, there's the business to think about. Samuel is the founder and owner of Meccanica, a huge coroporation. She has no idea what will happen to the company, or the resort, now that Samuel is gone.

"I…I think I'm going to faint," she says as she struggles to stay standing up. The officer moves closer to her and helps her to the sofa. "I…I just can't believe this…my Samuel….dead? This…can't…be…happening," she says as tears flow from her eyes.

/\/\/\

Wearing all black because of the memorial service, Kymberlynne moves into the living room of the mansion. Samuel's funeral just took place and she is in desperate need of a drink. Her hands shake as she pours herself a whiskey, which is not something she normally drinks, but she needs something to hit her quickly, and strongly.

"You were incredibly brave," a voice says from behind her. Kymberlynne turns and sees her sister, Orvilla Anderson, moving into the living room, also wearing a long black dress. "The children went upstairs to get some rest."

"I can barely keep it together myself," Kymberlynne's voice cracks. "Yet alone think about taking care of those babies."

"Lyzz is fifteen, she is really taking the lead with the younger two," Orvilla explains to her. "She has a good head on her shoulders."

Kymberlynne doesn't respond to her sister's remarks, instead she takes another healthy drink of her whiskey.

"Kym, you have to pull yourself together," Orvilla moves closer to her. "Do you think that is possible?."

"Don't you think I know that!" Kymberlynne snaps back at her sister. "I just lost the love of my life, my entire world has been turned upside down! I am doing the best I fucking can right now!"

"Okay, take a deep breath," Orvilla coaches her, as she arches her eyebrow, realizing that this could be her opportunity to get what she has always wanted: Meccanica. "Maybe you should take some time for you? Get away from Maui, the mansion, the Barracuda Blue?"

"You think I should take a vacation? That's a great idea, Orvilla," Kymberlynne rolls her eyes back to her sister, annoyed by the suggestion.

"It is like they say on an airplane," Orvilla purses her lips together. "'You have to put your own mask on before you assist anyone else with their mask,'" she tells her sister. "You're in no shape to be a mother to your children or run the company. Take a few days, I'll run Meccanica until you return, trust me, Kymberlynne."

/\/\/\/\

The following day, Orvilla welcomes the children, Lyzz, Liam, and Rachelle, into the dining room where breakfast is waiting for them.

"Chef has prepared chocolate chip pancakes for you three, since he knows that they are your favorite," she says as she pours herself a cup of coffee.

The children are quiet as they are still in shock by the loss of their father. Orvilla turns and sees them starting to eat, which pleases her. Before she can move to her seat, an attractive man moves into the room.

"Orvilla, do you have a moment?" he asks her, as Orvilla turns to him and moves up to him. Justin "Arrow" Williams is one of Orvilla's best friends, but he is also her assistant. They have been through a lot together, and they always have each other's back. For him to interrupt the family breakfast, it must mean that something important has happened.

"Justin, what is going on?" she asks him in a whisper, so the children do not hear her. She realizes that she doesn't want the children to hear as they have been through enough over the last few days.

"It's happened," he whispers to her. "Kymberlynne, she's gone."

"What do you mean, she's gone?" Orvilla asks him in surprise.

"Her room has been cleared out," Arrow explains to her. "Her clothing and suitcases are gone; she's left Maui."

Orvilla gets a sly grin on her face realizing that her plan to rid herself of Kymberlynne worked. She looks over at the three children, who are about to find out that they have been abandoned by their mother. "Perfect," she says with a twinkle in her eye as she looks back at Arrow.