The Sterling's Twisted Love Story

in the back of the car as we drove. He cleaned and dressed the new cut on my arm

f the raid," Hayes explained from the front seat. "The kidn

tried to kill me," I

not enough to convict, but it' s enough for us. The miss

back, stumbling, making my 'escape' look convincing. When I stagger

eked. "Do you have any idea what

peared behind her. T

sly low. "She risked her life for you. And you... you run

had escaped. They bel

Corp charity gala, a massive event held

, and you will act like nothing is wrong. We will not have our

t for me was a sleeveless, backless cocktail dress. It perfectly showcased the angry red burns on my arms and

arm. "Are you trying to shame us? Covering your

ess you gave me,

ut on something wi

event," I lied. I had a dozen other dresses.

ision in pale pink chiffon. She looked at my exp

"You should have told me. I have plenty of dresses you could bo

t her to Richard and Ethan, who we

," Ethan accused me. "You wan

rying in the now-crowded foyer. "I ju

ull swing. Heads turned as I entered. Whispers followed me. I could feel hundreds of eyes

there, enduring the stares. A sho

she whispered, a venomous smile on her face. "

, turning to face her fully.

ve excellent audio recording systems. Especially

ished. Her fa

"You' ll get it when this is over. Just drive... The plan is to get rid of

she s

happen. You' re going to leave me alone. You' re going to stop your little games. If yo

for an angle, a way out. "They' ll never

hired criminals to kidnap and murder his ot

as I thought I had won, Richar

g on here?" R

"Daddy, she' s threatening me! She played some f

He lunged at me, grabbing my phone

he roared. He raised h

im off balance. He stumbled into a nearby table, sending champagne glasses c

, pinning my arms to my side

llroom and up the stairs, locking me in

ving a tray of food onto my desk

open and logged in. It was a mistake, a rare slip-up in his usual careful dem

before I went to the computer. His email

files at an incredible speed. I navigated to Richard' s private server, which Ethan had acc

ers, shipping manifests for illegal technology, and encrypted communications. It was everyt

en pocket in my jeans just as I heard footstep

grabbing it from the desk. He didn'

had just signed their death warrant. I found a loose floorboard near my bed, a hiding place I

ked it. It was full of scans. Pages from a worn, leather-bound journal. My journal. The one I had kept as a teenager, filled with silly poems

n. For my solar panel design. Filed two years ag

harlotte

She had stolen my past, stolen my

ivate photos of me, taken in my bathroom, trying to document the burns and bruises for evidence, were suddenly all over the interne

imed I had lea

, the place where they had thrown the party, when Charlotte

re famous," she

All the pain, the humiliation, the betray

Charlotte," I said, my

me. The balcony railing was waist-high. We were al

railing beside me, screaming. "

kward, my heel catching on the ledge. For a terrifying second, I was o

glass doors to the balcony burst op

ed federal agents,

under arrest!" Hayes' s voi

were swarming the prop

eared. He saw me standing near the edge, he saw a stunned Charlotte, and he saw the

arged

reamed, and he shoved m

over the edge. The world turned upside down, a swir

ound, like a gunshot, cracked through the air. A stray bullet from a nervous agent, o

chard, Eleanor, Ethan-were being put in handcuffs, their faces a mask

at me from the balc

ed myself up on one elbow. I had to

d, the words bubbling up with blood

rything w