Rich and Riches

My name was Alexandra Jenkins, and I used to work as a nightclub hostess whose company was for sale to anyone willing to pay the right price.

My descent into this line of work wasn't by choice; it was out of desperation to cover my mother's medical bills.

Normally, my life would have followed a predictable path: spending my youth amidst the flashing lights of the nightclub, catering to customers, and living for the next paycheck. When age eventually caught up with me, I would marry a simple, dependable man and fade into obscurity.

Many of my older colleagues had walked this road before me, their stories serving as my grim roadmap.

But my story took an unexpected turn. I hooked a wealthy man, a true "golden ticket," and in a blink, I went from a struggling nobody to a future socialite.

My friends doubted my story, thinking I was making it up. Truth be told, sometimes I thought so too. But in just a few days, I would be walking down the aisle.

I would no longer endure endless rounds of drinks, or endure lecherous patrons. Instead, I was on the verge of stepping into a dream life—living in a mansion, indulging in fine dining, free from the need to work, and spending money without a care, like something straight out of a fairy tale!

In the days leading up to the wedding, many brides spend time with their families to relax and prepare.

For me, though, that wasn't possible—my mother had passed away, leaving our home empty and silent.

Eric Burton, ever the caring fiancé, invited me to stay at his villa instead. But I declined.

I chose to return to the now-empty house I once shared with my mother.

I believed, perhaps foolishly, that in some way, my mother would watch over me from above as I stepped into my new life.

That illusion was shattered the night before the wedding when an unexpected guest knocked on my door.

The visitor was Katarina Berry, though most people simply called her Kat. I had known her for two years while working at the nightclub. During that time, we had been close, like sisters. However, after I left that world, our communication had dwindled.

I hadn't invited anyone from my nightclub days to the wedding, so why had Kat suddenly shown up at my door?

I politely asked her why she had come. Kat's red lips curved slightly as she spoke the words that would destroy my world.

"Your mother's death was caused by Eric."