Scorned By Family, Freed By Fury

a man who had been in the Sterlings' pocket for deca

t tissue damage, and the chemical burn from that cream has caused severe inflamm

nd Eleanor as if I we

herself?" Richard as

hers?" El

an orphan, it' s possible she has an underlying psychological condi

gain. The door was locked from the outside. That night, unable to sleep from the pain, I crept to

voice. "The press would have a field day. 'Tech Mogul Locks Up Tr

a pause. "I had a background check done on her, a real one. There are sealed juvenile records. Nothing major, but it' s enough. And Dr. Evans has her medica

o destroy my reputation, to use my past against me

ame into my room. They weren't the usual securit

," one of t

" I asked, trying to keep

ged me out of the room, down a back staircase, and into an unma

n the back and tied my hands with zip ties. As the doors slamm

s Cha

ger seat and turned to look at me

said, her voice dripping with malice. "You' re g

iver. The van sped a

d the men. "Make it look like an acci

y training kicked in. Despite the pain in my arm and the

he yelled at Charlotte. "The boss said to grab her,

. "What? That wasn' t the plan!

ur real father said,"

eeled. Re

bling. "We' ll get the money. The Sterlings

and tearful. "Daddy? It' s me! They took us! They took me and Ava! I got away, but th

ng the stage, making herself a part of the

distant, through the phone. There was a

to the men. "He said n

ean, no?" the

cisive tone, " 'Ten million is too much for that g

had a worthless hostage. The man in the ba

exploded behind my eyes. They dragged me out of the van and into a derelict warehouse. The beating continued until I was a crumpled heap

. This was the end. Abandoned by my agency, betrayed by my adopt

was Hayes' s team. A firefight erupted, the sound of gunshots deafening in the enclosed space. Someone gra

cars, sirens screaming, screeched to a halt, boxing us in. And

g at me. "My poor, troubled daughter! S

ally unstable daughter, and now they were here to reclaim me. Hayes tried to argue,

stody, Agent," the captain

back of the Sterlings' limousine. The last thing I sa

to the people who had just left me to die. The brief flicker of hope wa