The mirror in the seedy motel bathroom reflected a stranger's face back at me. Good. That was exactly what I needed.My fingers traced the surgical tape still covering my nose. Three weeks since the procedure, and the swelling had finally gone down enough to see the surgeon's handiwork. The woman staring back at me bore no resemblance to Jessica Campbell—the broken, desperate creature who'd walked into that prison ten years ago.This woman had cheekbones that could cut glass. A nose that belonged on magazine covers. Lips that had been plumped to perfection. Even my eye color had changed—contacts transforming brown to striking green. The final touch would come when the bruising faded completely, but already I could see she was beautiful. Dangerously so.*Victoria Sterling.* I'd practiced saying the name until it felt natural rolling off my tongue. Until I could sign it without hesitation. Until I could become her completely.The identity had cost me nearly two hundred thousand of Mille
Pathetic. Even dying, he was weak.The smell hits me then. Copper and something else. Something final. I press my palm against my mouth, fighting the urge to vomit. Not here. Not now. I have work to do.Focus, Jessica. Think.I grab a towel from the bathroom and wipe the letter opener clean. My fingerprints. DNA. Evidence. The police shows I watched in prison taught me enough to know I can't be sloppy.Miller's phone buzzes on the dresser. I snatch it, scrolling through his contacts. Mostly burner numbers and fake names. Smart boy, even if he was stupid enough to betray me. The screen shows seventeen missed calls from someone labeled "Boss."Whoever's been paying Miller's bills these past ten years.I power it off and slip it into my pocket. Information is currency now, and I need every advantage I can get.The shower runs cold, but I scrub until my skin burns. Miller's blood swirls pink down the drain. When I'm done, I stand naked in front of the cracked mirror, studying the woman st
"Don't." I raise the letter opener, and he flinches back against the door. "Don't make this worse by lying to my face.""Okay! Okay, yes, I was planning to... to maybe use some of it to get money if I needed to. But I kept detailed files! Names, addresses, schedules, financial records—everything you'd need to—""To what? Destroy them properly this time?"He nods frantically. "The files are in the safe. Everything's there. Take them. Take it all. Just... please, Jess. Please don't—""Don't what?" I lean closer, close enough to smell the fear-sweat on his skin. "Don't give you exactly what you gave me?"The letter opener catches the light from the bedside lamp. Such a small thing to hold so much power."I kept your picture," Miller whispers. "On the nightstand. I looked at it every night for ten years. That has to count for something."I glance at the crumpled photo. Young faces full of arrogance and false promises. The girl in that picture believed in forever. Believed in him."It coun
BOOK 2: JESSICA'S RETURN: VENGEFUL SISTER PROLOGUETen years.Ten years of concrete walls and steel bars. Ten years of orange jumpsuits and scheduled meals. Ten years of watching the sun rise and set through reinforced glass while my sister lived the life that should have been mine.The metal door clangs shut behind me for the last time. Freedom tastes like car exhaust and regret, but underneath it all—something sweeter.Revenge.I pull the hood of my jacket up, shielding my face from the curious stares of passersby. They don't know who I am. They don't know what I'm capable of. But they will.Aria thinks she won. Michael thinks he's safe. The precious twins—Alex and Austin—they think they're untouchable in their ivory tower of wealth and privilege.They're all wrong.I've had ten years to plan. Ten years to perfect every detail. Ten years to imagine their faces when they realize their nightmare is just beginning.My fingers trace the burner phone in my pocket. One call will set eve
*Two years later*I watched the sunset paint the ocean in brilliant oranges and pinks, my bare feet sinking into the warm sand. The private beach stretched out before me, empty save for our little family and the memories we were building with each passing day."Mom! Look!" Alex called, standing waist-deep in the gentle waves, his hair slicked back and dripping. "I caught another one!"He held up a small translucent crab, pride radiating from his face. At ten years old, my son had grown taller, his features more defined—a perfect miniature version of his father with my stubborn determination."That's the fourth one!" I called back, shielding my eyes from the setting sun. "Remember to put it back gently!"Austin sat nearby on a blanket, focused intently on the intricate sand castle he'd been constructing for the past hour. Unlike his brother who charged headfirst into everything, Austin approached life with methodical precision. He looked up at me, squinting against the light."Do you t
My hands wouldn't stop trembling. I stared at my reflection in the antique mirror, barely recognizing the woman staring back at me. Eight years ago, I'd fled this city with nothing but heartbreak and a secret growing inside me. Now I stood here, about to marry the man who had once shattered my world."Mom, you look like a princess," Austin said, appearing in the doorway in his miniature tuxedo, his eyes—Michael's eyes—wide with childish wonder.My throat tightened. "Come here, you." Austin ran to me, and I knelt carefully in my dress, pulling him close. The scent of his hair—that mix of boy and the fancy shampoo Elizabeth had insisted on buying him—filled my senses."Is Alex ready?" I asked, smoothing down his collar."Yep. Grandpa Nelson is showing him how to fix his tie again." Austin rolled his eyes. "Alex keeps messing it up on purpose so Grandpa will show him again."I laughed, the sound strange in my throat. Nervous. Raw. "Smart kid.""Are you scared, Mom?" Austin's perception