e there. The nightmares came, vivid and cruel. She was back in the

od before her, not the sweet, innocent girl the

Eloise?" Eve's voice was soft, melod

g was stuffed in her mouth. She could only

. The look of the princess for the poor little maid's daughter

sion had revealed the truth: she had swapped the babies at birth. Eve wa

ng the chair. "She gave me to them. But they gave you everythi

s name, a fresh wave

good care of him. He's already mine. The DNA test pro

head. Her father, Denton, looking at her as i

family, Eloise. You are a thief

ere was something wrong with you. You were never grateful. Now w

cal blow. The absolute betrayal from t

om a table. "I need to make sure you never come

s Eve uncapped the bottle. The ac

f yours," Eve said conversationall

in. The pain was absolute, unimaginable. It consumed h

of agony, she s

r. She grabbed Eloise's left hand. "You were a pai

runching echoed in the small room. Then another, and anoth

ed a pair of surgical scissors. "Always so commanding

oise's mouth. Eloise gaspe

she rasped

" Eve sneered. She forc

pain. She felt a tearing sensation, a flood of blood

ll tell them you ran off to Europe with the money. Brigham and I

. They drove for hours, finally stopping in a desolate, poverty-stricken town in the middle of

ou here," one of them

ken, disfigured, and mute in a

ched in sweat. The stark white room was a shock a

safe," the nurse sa

re always there, waiting for her. She w

horrible scars on her arm. It wasn

Eve's triumphant smile. Brigham's confused, then dis

far worse than any of her physical injuries. They hadn'

e had loved. He had looked at her, seen the tattoo that bound them togethe

he deepest

er scarred cheek. It was a tear not of