trip to Chicago. He walked into my room carry

e bag. He tried to kiss me, but I turned

expensive diamond necklace. A guilt offering

" I said, my voice flat. I put it

d. "Don' t you w

I have a

watching me, trying to figure out the change in m

iated the conversati

him directly in the eye.

mouth. He stared at me, his mask o

hat

hearsed this. "I can' t have children of my own. You know that. And I love Leo. He des

the official heir. But I was offering it on my terms, making it my

ng for the trap. "Chloe... ar

I said firmly. "He will be ou

won. He thought my grief had finally made me pliable,

he said, reaching across the table to tak

hand, my skin craw

owed me to the bedroom,

effect. "The doctor said I need to rest. Alone. Maybe you could

ithout looking like an insensitive brute. He he

Chloe. Whatev

from mine, was the first real taste of victory. I locked my door a

panic, telling her I needed her. Jessica wasn' t just a friend; she wa

ything. The overheard conversation, the locke

hen I finished, she didn' t offer empty

loe. Give

k later, she returned with a sl

it down for th

ne. He' d used a fake passport to fly to a private island in the Caribbean. Financial records showed a series of

came the

ng, Dr. Alistair. He lost his license a few years ago for unethical practices. The medication he prescribed you, the one he said

in my lap felt i

before you started your treatment there," Jess

et my baby die. H

rdere

p, all the grief I had performed, came rushing back as a tidal wave of reality. Liam hadn't just sacrificed my happiness f

t just a lie. It

ss. I crumpled the report in my fist, the

to kill him,"

rabbed my shoulders. "You' re going to destroy him. The

en, chilling clarity cu

y is too powerful. They' ll bury it. They' l

the back of my hand. The grief was still ther

"They want to protect the family' s reputation? Fine. I' ll giv

to do?" Jessica as

ing right here. I' m going to host a party. A big one. The biggest this family ha