Miller's stunned

ned in the shadows, not meant for the bright li

Ashford family now had her name in t

ver her. She had no money, no place to go. But her few belongings, the last

d to g

To take sto

ed a cab and gave the address she despi

a walked through the front door and was immediately me

im-and her stepmother, Meredith, a woman whose polished elegance masked a ruthless, manipula

to reveal a river of diamonds. "Mother, the

ng," Meredith purred. "You're

if Kara wasn

said, her voice cutting through th

smiles

how can you say that? We all know what this marriag

em is not for you to decide. It's for the Bentons. What do you think they wo

l emphasis on the word "ou

her, Emilia would play the victim, and her father would take their side. But today, she had a different plan. She wa

ace," Kara said, h

st you be so aggressive? You were out all night, who knows what fi

ra's lips. "What I was doing? You

a slap. Meredit

es. The woman knew something about the hotel.

ore time. She re

necklace. In her panicked movement, her hand slamme

her grasp. The necklace

of pain this time. Blood welled fro

dith shrieked, rushing

nreadable. She bent down, calmly picked up the diamond n

of them, letting the d

aid softly. "A

age. "You vicious creatu

her? Or is a necklace simply more

go upstairs and pack," she said to Martha White, the Sexton f

oldly upstairs toward the attic, ignoring their clamor

buried her in a marriage to a cripple. They had no idea that sh