로그인Jamaica strode in like a general returning to her charts. "Lucinda. Thanks for receiving me at short notice."
"Of course." Lucinda's smile was trained, welcoming. "Coffee? Or something more potent?"
"Water will be fine." Jamaica's eyes scanned the room bookshelves, gilt-edged covers, a wall of invitation cards from long-forgotten galas and it sized up Lucinda's life like an inventory. "How is your father?"
"Still well, still insufferable," Lucinda replied, and they both shared a brief laugh, the laughter thin.
They sat at a tiny table by the window. Lucinda poured the water with a delicate hand. The kitchen was faintly scented with citrus and the acrid burn of last night's cigarettes.
"You called about the… articles," Lucinda said. "It's all over the feeds. My desk is full of frantic interns and angsty columnists."
Jamaica folded her hands, the slight tremor from last night vanished, replaced by total control. "I don't desire panic,"
Simultaneously, Helen sat in her hideaway, a glass of red wine swirling in her hand, as she stared out into the richly appointed room through a large, imposing window. The estate she had purchased with a straw man identity was a really secure place, untraceable, with secure walls to keep her protected from harm. She was secure, of course, but she was also restless.Thoughts swirled inside her head as fast as her hands could not keep up. The damage that had been done was devastating, but nothing was finished quite yet. The Billion family was split apart, but that certainly didn’t mean that they were broken.not yet.She knew Charles would fight till the end. He was a man of honor, even if, at times, he did not behave in that way. Fiona would also rise to the challenge, but there were fault lines. Fiona had noticed. The death of Marie had created a rift, one which would not be easily mended.Meanwhile, back at the mansion, the police were having a tough time in their investigation into M
The days following Marie’s funeral were just a blur—a haze of unfinished messages, of mourning faces, of unanswered questions. The mansion was all quiet now, with only memories of shots, of confusion, of Marie’s death still hovering in the atmosphere like thick fog.The family assembled together more regularly than ever before, their normally thriving life shrinking to whispered conversations, subdued meals, and furtive glances around crowded rooms filled with absence.The world was a different place for Candy. It was no longer a warm and lively home filled with the sound of her laughter ringing down the halls. The world was a cold and lonely place, a world where the absence of her mother felt as real as the darkness that hung in every corner.But in the midst of all this sorrow, there was something that kept Candy grounded—Liza. Liza had taken up the mantle of protector, though she did not have a clue what that looked like yet either. Liza had become a silent anchor for Candy, with c
Meanwhile, in the storm of disarray and tragedy that continued to rage around the Billion estate, Helen was already one jump ahead. In the middle of the night, she was sitting in the darkened cabin of her private plane, the whine of the engines providing a constant accompaniment to her thoughts as she pondered her next move. The lights of the mansion were just an distant twinkling in her rearview mirror, hidden by the enormity of the darkness below.She looked out into the night, her eyes squinting as she watched the city lights blur into nothingness. She was so close to ruining everything they valued. To making them all pay. But it was far from over. Not yet.Her fingertips tapped softly against the armrest as she considered the recent scenes at the mansion. The sacrifices that Marie had made, protecting Charles and Candy, giving her life for something that she would never have the opportunity to see realized. A harsh laugh burst from her lips at the image. Marie had been no more tha
Candy, still holding on to Fiona, gazed at the figure with tears-filled eyes. Her lips are trembling as she whispers the name, which has now become a epitome of all that she has lost. "Mommy."Fiona’s throat closed as she knelt to whisper in her daughter’s ear. “It’s all right, sweetie. Mommy is in a better place now. And she is watching over you. She’ll always be with you.”But even Fiona understood that no words would ever be enough to mend a torn heart such as Candy’s. Nothing could bring back the woman who had been Candy’s lifeline in this crazy world. Nothing could fill the void that Marie had left behind.Charles moved closer to the gurney, his hands shaking as he reached out to peel back the sheet. It caught his breath when he saw the pale, lifeless figure of Marie. She seemed to be at peace, a far cry from the fire that had raged in her life in the past weeks. But even that peace was false, a false promise
Madam Jamaica stood still, her face impassive. There was no triumph, no satisfaction, only the calculating gaze of a woman who had watched many battles, but never a one such as this. She, too, had lost. But her loss differed. The loss of Marie signaled the end of a chapter, the beginning of another.Helen was nowhere to be found. She had disappeared into the aftermath of the chaos, melting away like a shadow into the night. The police had her men in custody, but Helen? Oh, she was already gone, her revenge accomplished. She had gotten exactly what she came for—Marie’s death.A uniformed man approached Charles, his face serious. “We have her, Mr. Billion. Helen’s men are arrested, but she is nowhere to be found.”"Yes," he barely nodded, the words too far away for him to comprehend. In his mind, his whole world had fallen apart, and there was no way that it could be restored.The paramedics put a white sheet over Marie’s
The world was fading, and with every blink, Marie felt herself drift further into oblivion. Her grip on Candy relaxed, her fingers tingling with numbness, but the last vestige of her love for her child kept her grounded, even as her body failed her.“You deserve it, Marie. For betraying me. We should have succeeded,” a cold, biting voice cut through, one that grudgingly, barely, Marie listened to. It came from a source that seemed a thousand miles away, but still managed to cut deep into her heart."You're going to die," he whispered, his voice barely audible over the pounding of her heart. "No," she murmured back, her thoughts racing. "Yes," he said, his eyes cold, his blue eyes empty. The meaning of his words hung in the air, his intent unclear, but she knew she didn't want to hear it. Her mind fluttered, her dwindling sense







