The Heiress's Fall, Her Rise to Love

champagne glasses clinking together in a soft, constant chime. Tonight was my coming-out party, the official announcement that I, Chloe Davis, was the true heiress to the Davi

e world

room turned towards the large screens that were supposed to be showin

s a v

sound was muted, but the images were enough. A collective gasp went through the crowd. Phones came out, flashes started going off. The wh

noring the calls of my name, the sound of my mother's sharp, angry voice. I fled from my

ling' s p

ibs. I needed him. I needed my fiancé to hold me and tell me it was going to be okay. I heard

r and casual. "The look on her f

arted to creep up my spine, colder tha

his voice full of admiration. "You completely destr

every second of it. She thought she could just show up and take everything from Sophia? Push my

my parents had always favored, the one who had mysteriously decided to go study

't random. It was a plan. And the man I was going to marry, the m

he door silently, my hand over my mouth to stifle a sob. I

e. The only people left were my parents, their faces tight with fury. My moth

"You have humiliated this fam

cracked across my face. The sting was sharp, but

ow and dangerous. "You will go to Europe. Disappear u

ression one of pure disgust. He didn't say a word to

unconditionally, and I felt nothing but a vast, empty coldness

my back, my che

voice surprisingl

entarily surprised b

Norway," I added. "Fo

nodded curtly. "Fine. Norway it is. Now go

mily. As I walked, I could feel the invisible weight of every eye that had watched me on those screens, every whisper that would now follow my name forever. They