Chapter 2

As she released me, Julie turned tearfully to the council. "Gentlemen, Nora is the maid the Hathaway family assigned to me when we were children. We grew up together.

"But she has suffered from delusions since childhood. She insists that she's the Hathaway heiress and I'm her servant. I took her to doctor after doctor. Every one diagnosed her with schizophrenia."

She cried softly, looking more wounded with every word. "I felt sorry for her, so I indulged her and never held it against her.

"But I never imagined she'd try to marry William in my place or invent a lie this outrageous to smear me."

Then she pointed at my bag. "If you don't believe me, search it. You'll find the medication she takes."

One of the Voss aides stepped forward, yanked the bag from my shoulder, and dumped its contents onto the floor.

An orange pill bottle rolled free. The label read RISPERIDONE. It was an antipsychotic prescribed for delusions and schizophrenia.

I stared at the bottle and went cold all over.

William had given me that bag for my birthday. I treasured it. Even during the kidnapping, I had clutched it and refused to let go.

So this had been part of his plan too.

Julie picked up the bottle. A smug smile flashed across her face, but the moment she realized people were watching, her expression crumpled into pitiful concern. "Nora, I know you hate me. You want my name and you want William. You'd erase me from the world if you could.

"But look where we are. This is the Voss estate. Are you determined to humiliate our entire family before you'll stop?"

Marcus's expression hardened. He was about to order his men to drag me out.

I stepped toward Julie. "You claim you're the Hathaway heiress. Fine. Do you have the family ring to prove it?"

Julie wiped her eyes and answered without hesitation. "You were my personal maid. Of course you kept my family ring for me. And now you're asking me where it is?"

I let out a humorless laugh and held up my crest.

"There is no ring. My mother left me this black-and-gold crest. It's our family's token of identity, and it proves who I am."

Julie froze.

Every council member in the room turned toward the crest. No one dared say another word.

Panic flared across Julie's face, but she forced it down and sobbed, "That crest was mine. I told you to keep it for me..."

"You told me to keep it?" I cut in. "Julie, you didn't even know whether the heirloom was a crest or a ring. How are you going to prove it's yours?"

Her mouth opened, but nothing came out.

Just as uncertainty crept into her eyes, the meeting-room doors burst open.

A woman in her fifties rushed in, her hair disheveled and her eyes red.

It was Sonia Smith, Julie's older sister and the manager of our estate.

The sisters had come to us together. Julie was assigned to look after me, while Sonia stayed at the estate and eventually rose to manage the household.

She charged straight at me and slapped me twice, knocking me to the floor.

I fell into shards of glass. One sliced my palm, and blood welled instantly.

Sonia turned to the council in tears. "Gentlemen, I'm sorry. This is all my fault. Please don't hold the Hathaway family responsible. She's my sister, and she's been mentally ill since childhood. Don Hathaway took pity on her and let her serve the young lady, but now she's so far gone she doesn't even know her place!

"I never thought she'd go this far or deceive the senior council of another family. She's more uncontrollable by the day. Please deal with her yourselves. I can't control my own sister anymore."

As Sonia sobbed, whispers rose around the room.

"I know Sonia. She manages the Hathaway estate and was one of the late Hathaway matriarch's closest confidantes. We can trust her."

"So Julie really is the Hathaway daughter?"

"Of course she is. The Hathaway heiress was raised to be educated and refined. How could she be this blood-soaked madwoman who can't string a sentence together?"

"If William can't even protect his own fiancée, what right does he have to take over the Voss family?"

With every whisper, dread settled deeper in my chest.

A flash of triumph crossed Julie's face. Then she stepped in front of me as if to protect me, her voice syrupy with concern. "Mr. Voss, Nora's only acting this way because she's jealous of me."

William came over then and took Julie's hand.

"Gentlemen, Julie is the only woman I'll ever marry. If I can't have her, I'd rather surrender my place as heir and leave with her."

He looked at Marcus with the solemn resolve of a man proposing. "Please give us your blessing."

The room went quiet for a moment, and then someone started clapping and the rest followed.

Marcus said nothing for a long moment.

His gaze settled on me, heavy and unreadable.

At last, Marcus said, "Under Voss family law, the impostor should be executed.

"But God is merciful, and this family doesn't execute the mentally ill. Send her to South America. From this day on, she's forbidden to set foot on Voss territory."

The smile froze on Julie's face.

I almost laughed out loud.

South America.

Most of my family's operations were in South America. Our people were everywhere in Brazil, Colombia, and Peru. Weapons and money laundering, ports and plantations: all of it was Hathaway territory.

Exiling me to South America meant sending me straight home.

Julie realized that too.

Her gaze sharpened. Then she dropped to her knees and put on a tearful voice. "Gentlemen, Nora has been with me for more than ten years. I can't bear to send her so far away to suffer.

"Why not keep her here with the Voss family as a servant? She could... wait on us hand and foot."