secrets. Eleanor Vanderbilt, matriarch of the dynasty, stared at

red. "Willow Hayes. From th

t a girl from

ue gift. A 'life blessing,' they call it." Her eye

This was it. The moment eve

e flashed be

nderbilt, her dying son

essity, a biological impera

twins, a boy and a girl. Ethan, miraculously, started to

the children are born, Willow, you will be a Vanderbilt i

room. Not doctors

was the reason. My arrival had forced her into a disastrous marriage with

daughter, ripped from me befor

sobbed, blood po

ce a venomous hiss. "Clara is dead because of

t. Severe internal bleeding. Comp

ed frauds, charlatans who'd tried to swindle the mighty Vanderbilts

to Eleanor Vanderbilt

back.

ung in the air

ing the plush, expensive carpet. My voic

. old talk. Superstition from back hom

a strong young man. He'll pull throug

anor's eyes, quickly masked. Sh

th. A sliver of hope is all we need. And this arrangeme

uth, but a voice, weak yet laced with an unmistaka

on't marry W

ha

llness, but his eyes burned with the same cold fire. He pushed himself upright, s

illow Hayes fabricated this 'life blessing' nonsense to tr

is serious, she hasn't caused irreparable harm yet. Perhaps... a significant fine,

escaped me. I looked

an clearly despises me on sight. He wants to punish me before he even kno

frustration and concern as

Hayes out based on these rumors. She ha

rutinized my face, his brow furrowed, as if trying to p

just an ordinary woman, Mrs. Vanderbilt. I can't bear the respon

. Finally, she relented. "Very well.

n't leave the city. If I

first easy one since enter

e tangled web of Ethan Vanderbilt and C

n hall when I heard his voice

pace. But his aide, a man built like a

to denounce me draining his already depleted reserves. He looked like he could

note of petulance in his voice. "You always used t

nful laugh ech

t him, hold his hand, but the one time my fingers brushed his skin, he'd shoved me away. Hard. I'd stumbled, nea

y the very edge

bilt?" I asked, my voice carefully n

His lips thinned into a hard line, h

You've come back too. Otherwise, why would you su

d at him, sa

again. If you can guarantee, this time, that you won't in

d," I said softl

"I wish you and Miss Beaumont a long a

he wedding night,* I added silently,

s I couldn't decipher swirling in his

our separate ways. If we m

out you and me, anything that upsets Clara or