Reborn to Reject: The Heiress's Final Choice

ight hit

ned m

room in the Van

was th

Vanderbilt, would present me wi

iam Caldwell,

olden

clenched.

he silk sheets coo

cond chance, I w

Mother' s voice, crisp and

" I called out,

ected

ad

morning room, their

paper in his hand. "We have so

" I

one

smiles

rfectly plucked eyebrow arc

t be choosing

lence fill

d a look of pure sh

t tone, "these are the finest families. The Astors, the Cal

Always t

flashe

d familiar, tw

he emptiness,

rk's old-money elite meant o

ble piece in their grand g

as never the p

played out b

r, my firs

e scion of a Wall S

as the event

s never t

rt, it all belonged to

ad of household, o

s, always demure,

home filled with his p

umiliation w

a high-sp

anufactured danger, a mess orchestrated by

ced his li

me, hi

d. The pres

ried

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reckless, emotion

doted

," his "pure" contras

ed. He w

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red to win a "

e thrown aw

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or philanthropy, deep

ed kind

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thbed, he

unrequited l

er had another chanc

d have pur

wish was

the memorie

Liam,

t men, diffe

d: their absolute de

e center of their dr

ent victim, the

chemer I kn

z

utiful, not overtly intel

master of subt

demure, always

us, the attention t

ve it to he

h

away for her? Their fortunes

ever unde

e, the feeling of being utte

ceholder, a soci

loved, never

m

would prior

lity, my

as a dangero

d," I announced, my voice ri

stared, s

ther finally managed, skept

Mercer,"

e tech fellow? From Silicon Valley?

" Father added,

es. A strategic alliance with the Mercers will diversify the Vanderbilt

letting th

s focused on his work. Unlikely to cause emotion

changed anoth

s in business, discree

alculation, emo

d the same Ivy League university as me.

pragmatic when it came to the

. Julian Mercer was

iewing his successes,

id, a sigh escaping him. "W

s would make t

shed over me. The f

ld be arranged. Th

t mansion continued, oblivious

mix of exhaustion

was uncertain,

tler, Jeeves, an

, and Mr. Sterling are h

skipped

olden

easy charm, the scent of expe

Liam, with his daredevil glint.

y brothers, my playmates, be

a tight-knit circle

ffection there

s protective, o

quite reaching his eyes. "We heard

how you are," Liam adde

tched me, his

ked at them, perhaps for th

in the past, thei

n't ab

avoided marrying me for

ure became unbearable, or when it

s about fulfilling an obligation, or worse, using

was a cold sha

y voice cool. "The de

sponse evasi

nder. Let t

rprise, then a flicker of

an presse

d. "Don't keep us

es narrowe

eak, Ethan' s phone buzze

his expression imm

reased

d, picking up. "Hello?

with alarm. "Izzy? W

entire focus shif

n the roo

re is she? Hospital?

his phone shut

his eyes were dista

he' s at Lenox Hill," he

d at me. "Ava, w

ady halfway

ing up. "I can call my guy at the

eet. "I'll arrange for a

an, a whirlwind o

ask if I wan

t ask if I

eason for their vi

ble. That was al

go, a bitter ta

transparent now. The

en so blind

orless laugh

almost

e window, watching t

at' s what I

' s Instagram feed w

stefully bandaged wrist,

h were in every shot

ll of gratitude for

ion of their unw

reen, a strange ca

ily hei

well racing chronograph. The

osing one of these si

d already calle

valued and pre

unequivoc

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ice wa

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as with Jul

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o I