c and walked to the guest room that h

thing of synthetic lace, a size too large, with a neckline that

abric felt scratchy against her skin. She gathered the excess material

els echoed in the hallway. The d

, her face glowing with smug satisfaction. She looked Alisa up

eered. "Don't yo

ng to smooth her hair, flashing the enormous pink d

voice loud and triumphant. "He said he couldn't bear to se

. I get a real man, a real future. You get my sloppy seco

ence more infuriating to Cecelia than any retort. The

your tongue?" Cecelia lunged forward, her manicured nails reachi

it second,

in a blur, the back of it connecting with Cecelia's cheek

L

to the vanity, sending a row of perfume bottles shattering to the flo

dly swelling face, her eyes wide with disbe

eamed, launching herself at Alis

out to catch Cecelia's wrist in a grip of iron. Her thumb presse

nt numb and useless, the pain so intense it buckled h

into the room, her face a mask of horror when

d, pointing a trembling finger. "I'll ha

s if she'd touched something foul. She calmly pulled a t

ow and ripped open the

k, armored SUVs, the Sterling family crest gleaming on their doors. Th

ing on Judith with the weig

d cold. "If I am late, the Webster Group will be a smoki

r lips. She stood frozen, her jaw working silently, trapped

s tear-streaked face. She gathered the ridiculous, oversized skirt of her

nned silence. The butler, who had sneered at her just the day before, now hel

d the door of the lead Maybach. Alisa slid i

thud, sealing her off from the past and