Jilted Heiress: Her Reign Has Begun

Stark

to a gray haze of isolation. I remained locked in m

had been with my family since before I was born, burst

ome quickly!" she gasp

, what

the other one. They' re in the p

mediate, washed over me. N

d, it was sealed. Preserved exactly as they had left it, a perfect, untouched monument to their memory. It was my sanctuary, the only place in thi

the hallways and up the grand staircase, my he

were wide open. The scene i

leather-bound collection of first-edition novels had been pulled from the shelves and thrown into a mes

mall, framed photograph. She had a theatrical smudge of dirt o

msy girl," he cooed, his voice sickeningly sweet. "I told you this place was a dusty old mess." H

ragged thing. "Wh

n one of mild annoyance at the interruption

ed out, gesturing

ussing redecorating a guest room. "She thought this would m

turn my parents' memorial i

photo from her hand to examine her tiny scratch. He didn

n in my chest was so intense that my bandaged hand, the one he had injure

f my parents on their wedding day. She had her foot on it. She ground her heel into my father

, shielding her again. "Etta, for Christ' s

ed, my voice breaking. "What righ

said, his voice laced with cruel arrogance.

this penthouse after my parents' funeral. He had promised me, his eyes full of tears, "This space

room; he was spitting on the very

was bought with Stark blood." I turned my furious gaze on Corina, who was hiding

thought to physically drag

an impenetrable barrier. He was protecting her. Again. The i

arled, his face twisted with impatienc

u

parents' m

t thread of love, of hope, of a deca

ts jagged metal edge aimed like a spear. My mind was a white-h

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