months

er hair, plastering it to her forehead. Her hands gripped the metal bedrails so hard her join

y pierced

or announced. A nurse quic

let her head fall back against the wet pillow, a

he room fell dead silent. There was no cry. Only t

nt to the warming table and began chest compressions. Eleanor trie

en-like whimper came from the baby. T

ver to Eleanor. He

eys are barely functioning. She needs a top-tier medical team and immed

of her eyes and slid into her hair. She thought of her empt

lood. She made the only choice tha

umber. When her best friend answered, Eleanor sobbed into

nights

rked in the shadows outside the Gill estate in New York

ight air bit at her face. She placed the baby gently on the stone steps. She tu

to the baby's freezing forehead. A tear f

d against the intercom buzzer

stepped out, holding a flashlight. He saw t

er carry her daughter into the warm, brightly lit mansion. She

opped a forged death certificate and two p

. She stared at the ir

" she w

pless nights mastering architectural design, transforming her pain into brilliant, award-winning blueprints. Slowly, she buried the fragile Eleanor and forged a new, unbreakable identity: Raina, a highly sought-a

years

at JFK International Airport. She wore a tailored suit, high heels, and

ge cart with a serious expression. Jalen looked eve

t her phone, checking

se, boys,

wall of men in black suits walked to

le girl in a pink princess dress in one arm. He was looking dow

narrow corridor. Eleanor's shoulder near

m Cece's fingers. It drifted toward Jalen.

ed a bright, missing-tooth smi

len's face. His dark eyebrows pulled together

ent. She snapped her head up. S

ing. She grabbed both boys by their collars a

axi lane. Eleanor threw the boys into the back