Lillian Hayes

Two Years Later

I took a deep breath and formed my lips into a bright smile. Back straightened, I slowly climbed the stairs in my four-inch Jimmy Choo stilettos. The silk layers of my blue gown danced around my feet with every step I took. Two years ago, I would have hidden myself from the bright flashes accompanying me as I walked to the main entrance. Now I faced them with confidence.

The choice I had made back then changed everything. That night, I said goodbye to Lilly Sanders and embraced my new identity. I had learned that my father hadn't abandoned me, but he admitted that he had made a grave mistake by letting me stay with the woman who had grown to hate him—my mother. He didn't know that Mother had left me when I was fourteen, and I wasn't aware that he had been sending money for me every month until I had reached eighteen years old. Guess my mommy dearest fooled both of us...

Becoming my father's daughter had been more than a little challenging. Certainly, William Hayes woul