From Ashes, A New Empire

s the last thing I remem

my three-year-old dau

ack. Her name was Chloe. She was my older brother' s be

ght he was a genius matchmaker. He drugged me and Ch

as w

ily needed my family' s name, so she ma

er Lily was born, Chloe left for Europe with him, leaving our daughter in m

loe cam

e arrivals gate. Lily was holding a little sign sh

Chloe, her

omm

didn' t run to Chloe. She ran past her,

es of him for months on video call

he betrayal dawning on my face. He took a panicked

peeding car didn't ev

ct was s

river, the car, or the man she secretly loved s

ed into a blac

d us for

us to our Hamptons beach house. She

he doors fro

e sloshing of liquid. The sharp, sicke

aming her name. Lily was c

s face. It was blank, her eyes em

Alex," she said, her voice flat. "M

e lit t

ous thought was of shielding my daughter' s body

I was