From Ashes, A Queen Rises

side felt permanent. Kenzie had taken to tormenting me daily, sending photos of herself wearing my jewe

gle one. More evi

ith the team of lawyers my father had assembled. The terms were simp

thing: full, sol

via courier. They came back th

Florence. You can't survive without me, and you know it.

ribs ached. The man's ego

uests wouldn't work. I woul

d been sent to a gossip blog, complete with photos, detailing Kenzie's history as a sugar baby

was packing my bag. He was vibrating with rage. Kenzie was

pointing at Kenzie. "You're not happy u

re talking about," I said

character! It has your fingerprints all over

" I said, not even looking at him. "

from his arms and ran out of

ulius threatened, his voice low an

s unhinged. I knew, with a certainty that chilled

I had bought years ago under my mother's maiden name-a secret escape hatch I never thought I'd need. I

o the details of Ava's life.

s wr

Ava into bed, I felt a pres

standing in

e from the hospital. Or

e room, his eyes scanning the unfamiliar surroundings. He saw Ava's litt

ll herself tonight, Florence. Because

us, s

all your fault." He took a step towards me. "I'm goi

keep my voice steady, trying to position myself between hi

arting around. He wa

e saw his face, twisted wi

me. She started hitting his legs with her tiny fists.

n seemed to break something in him.

, his eyes wild. "You turned

He held her against his chest, he

dered. "Now. Or I swear I wi

o the penthouse, a place that now felt like a tomb. He shoved me inside an

oice a low growl. He threw open the

me. I had been kidnapped as a child, locked in a dark, damp cellar for three days. Julius kn

using it

clicking into place. I was plu

learned your lesson, I'll let you out," his voic

. I scrambled to the door, beatin

e! Don't do th

raw. My only answer was the sou

a ball on the cold concrete floor, shaking uncontrollably. The walls started to close in

arms, trying to ground myself in pain, to figh

r of light pierced the darkness. The housekeeper, a woman

says you can

ragged me upstairs. My legs we

saw me, her face stained with

p shaking. "Daddy hit me," she whispered into

ed through the fog in my br

voice trembling. "Mommy's here. We're go

d body protesting, and stag

blocked my path. They were ne

ked cloth over my mouth and nose. The acrid smell filled

lowed me whole was Ava's terrified face. The