ing they saw

ched the driveway, its red sol

ara ste

nd severe, with The Star of Aethelred burning at her throat. The

smile co

n and jewelry blog had been talking about the mysterious designe

ted on Ama

d reacted first. She stormed dow

d. "You stole it. It must be fake. Y

n at the woman w

I suggest you remember that. T

uiet woman he had discarded was gone. In her place stoo

past them i

ped room at the back where sh

he door, she foun

ne bottles lay half-empty near the bed. New clothes buried the mattress, tags still attached.

owed her in

led, lunging. "Things like that b

sted it, and sent her stumbling

, shock flashing

en them shifted

r heels sank into the rug

asked. "How much did t

d. Fear and resentme

to get you out of Bella's way. After all those years feeding you

d upright, v

born to be Bella's stepping

o destroy her. Instead

e was a parasite who had fed on

hope for maternal

bled once, but her

ne second, think of

th f

y before she could h

tion was an

ation told Ama

rmance. Her face crumpled, tears poured down,

I did for you? I fed you. I clothed you.

felt almost peaceful. Once, this act would

e pen from Atticus's library was still inside. With

ed thousan

. The sound was

e check fall in

twenty years," Amara s

pped cryin

natched up the check, clutching it as if it

away the last o

ot my mother. I am not your daughter. We have n

et, the grief gone. "Is th

al whir came fr

er wheelchair, her gentle face

only warmth in that house, the one who taught her piano, praised her

r and covered Amara'

"Did they force you into this? Di

heart

risoner in her own home, kept bli

ld answer, Judit

She's greedy. She threw herself at

hed and looke

g. She wanted to burn the entire

red the woman's weak heart, the emergency calls, t

would de

swallo

she lied. "It was m

ed her hand fre

she had held back finally fell, hot and silent.

ch, a hand c

tu

oman column, his expression ar

ra,

ed her a

t touc

Richard threatened me. He said he would ru

ting that Amara coul

ed until