INICIAR SESIÓNI look her dead in the eye, the pain in my cheek turning into pure, defensive defiance. "I don't care about your money! I am only here to find out the truth about what happened to your mother!" SMACK! Caroline slaps me across the face with enough force to burst my lip, the metallic taste of blood
Jake just shrugs, taking a sip of his drink, his eyes still tracking my waistline. I move down the line, my breath catching in my throat as I approach the final two seats. Georgia and Lydia. Georgia is leaning back, laughing softly at something Lydia just murmured, looking untouchable. I step up
It clicks in my brain right then—that is exactly why the mastermind chose her. She’s the perfect person to bribe because she doesn't talk. I open my mouth, trying to phrase a casual, conversational opening about Grandmother Newton’s murder, but the words dry up in my throat. I can't just blurt ou
I creep down the grand, plushly carpeted upper hallway, a damp microfiber cloth squeezed in my right hand as I pretend to wipe down the gold-leaf molding on the wall of the Newton house. My eyes, however, are locked on Caroline Newton’s back. She’s walking a few paces ahead of me, looking like a wa
The mocking sarcasm is gone, replaced by a hyper-focused, intensely protective glare. She narrows her eyes, studying my face through her oversized sunglasses. "What about Owen?" "In case you haven't opened a single app or looked at what's been aggressively circulating on the internet since this mo
I stare at the glowing screen of the TV in my room, a groan rattling the very depths of my soul. I swear to God, I cannot have a single, solitary second of peace in this godforsaken world. Right there on the screen, dominating every single social media platform, entertainment blog, and legal foru
My focus, or what’s left of it, is on Riley. He's darting across the grass, his small face lit up with a grin as I toss the ball, a soft, underhand lob. He catches it, giggles, and brings it back. "Again, Deckard! Again!" I throw it again and he runs to catch it and then throws it back. I throw it
My mind blurs, taking me back down a memory lane I’ve tried to pave over for years. My fingers find a folded piece of paper tucked into the base of the box and I pull it out as tears gather in my eyes. "Owen," I whisper, my voice cracking. "I... I didn't realize, but this was the music box Deckard
The hallway of the Newton’s mansion is long, arched, and lined with portraits of ancestors who look like they’ve never smiled a day in their lives. I’m practically jogging to keep up with Owen’s long strides, and very out of breath. "Hey, slow down would you?" He ignores me and if anything, incr
The moment we step through the door, Grandmother is on me. She pulls me into a hug that smells faintly of lavender and old paper, but the warmth is immediately punctuated by a sharp poke to my ribs. "You," she says, pulling back to fix me with a squinted gaze that could pierce armor. "You are a lit







