te Jenn

ence. The silence in the penthouse was a living thing, pressing in on me, suffocating me. I was trapped, with no allies, no esca

son. They were talking about him like he was a tumor to be excised, a problem to b

ed from the outside. I

ferent lights. I didn' t sleep. I sat in the dark, watching the headligh

would hear me? Or rather, who would care? The staff were loyal to the Sul

upposed to love and protect me. Their betrayal was a fresh, gaping wound. They ha

A faint, flickering ember i

an orphan.

ng me that my biological parents had been searching for me. They had been young when I was born, forced to

andoned, to respond. I was a Jennings. I had a family. Or so I thought. I

Dean family was old money, a global dynasty with influence in shipping, finance, and politics. They were notoriously pr

perate, crazy gamble. But

ded a

ained. He looked like he hadn't slept either. He held a tray

rough with emotion. "I... I k

re asking me to let your mother and that snake you brought into our

g in his eyes. "It' s not murder. It' s... it

of the stock pr

you, Lottie. I swear I do. After this is all over, we can t

from my lungs. As if our son was a prototype t

him with emotion. He was immune to

self into a state of unnatural c

y,"

cked by my sudden ac

y. "If this is what has to be done to sec

it was almost comical. He was so desperate to belie

one conditi

immediately, his eyes

ll go crazy. If I' m going to do this... this thing... I need a distraction. I

is eyes. But his desire for an easy solution won out. He wanted the

eagerly. "Of course. I' ll have

ness it made my skin crawl. "Thank you, Lottie. You won

rity guards brought my phone and laptop. I waited

nd the old email, the one containing the letter

he number was still active. I didn't know if they woul

man with a calm, authoritati

g my voice. "My name is Charlotte.