ella

of the Rowland Estate. It was a sprawling, gilded cage overlooking the manicured, lifeless gardens. There was nothing of m

t wasn't until much later I discovered that at least half of them were stuffed with old newspapers and bricks. She had saved face for Washington society while hoarding the real wealth for herself, and my fathe

y loyal maid, slipped into the room, her f

illed the poison Connor had so carefully planted. Last night, Damien Franco had been at *The Green Mill* jazz

ly felt a cold, terrifying clarity. Connor had conveniently let this slip to Liam, knowing Liam's temper w

st brother Sean had been beaten to death in the alley behind *The Green Mill*, fighting over that e

Sean, the cold pragmatist, didn't care about my humiliation as long as the Franco alliance held. Liam, the hypocrite, reveled in

n the form of Mrs. Eleanor Reid. My mother's most trusted co

bottom of the list. "They transferred two dilapidated warehouses in the West Loop to your name. They are burdened with e

t of Chicago, on what would soon be my husband's territory, toxic asse

pleaded, touching my hand gently. "They have the wealth and

y. "No, Eleanor. We

avies's political career, I had anonymously leaked shipping intel that bankrupted my maternal grandfather's flee

de the thought of facing them unbearable. More importantly, fleeing to Boston now would only drag innocent people into a mafia war. Dam

ands. I refused to be the architect

wanted to tear the Rowlands down to their foundations, I couldn't rely on a husba

ather's approval had died in the wreckage of my past life. The woman stand