The Orphan Heiress: Reclaiming My Stolen Life

against the freezing concrete floor of the underground wine ce

under her shirt was completely smooth. Her fingers froze. There were no thick surgical stitc

g operating lights in the illegal underground clinic and the sharp stench of antiseptic. Abov

is your only chance to repay the Hendrix f

t her kidney. Her own people-the ones she trusted-had been bought off by the family to slip the sedative into her cup. They had drained her bone mar

er and carve her up on an operating table. And in the end, it wasn't the surgery that killed her-it was the infection that crept into the wound afterward. They had

ing the rough calluses along her thumb web-marks left from years of gripping microsurgical needl

he knew this exact night. She was twenty years old. Three days ago, Carley had thrown herself into the estate fountain and blamed Elena for pushing her out

tually bac

he stone steps outside the iron door.

ed inside holding a brass lantern. He stopped at the top of the short stairs, looking d

scension. "Mr. Hendrix told me to inform you that your three

one wall and lifted her eyelids. Her dark brow

harpened his tone. "Miss Carley's fever just broke after the shock you gave her.

s dry lips. Her throat was raspy from three days wi

ving form, or for making sure she land

oak barrel. "Watch your mouth! You are nothing but an orphan charity

ys in the freezing dark, her tall, slender frame moved with the leth

cheap trick like that to frame someone is

at her nose. "Unrepentant brat! Three days in

steps with steady, heavy strides. Her cold presence forced the

urned her head and looked at Evan

nt to see what kind of circus the

own his spine. He clenched his jaw and hurri

face, carrying the heavy scent of Alonza's Cuban cigars and expensive white lilies. Elena felt her pocket-there was not

omforting murmurs drifted through the cra

nd knocked lightly. "Sir, Mad

lled the heavy doors open, and blinding light from the massive Swarovski chandelier spilled out as Elena