The Price of His Ambition

s-my right leg a grinding hell, Lily clutched

e. He knelt, his suit dirty, grief etched on h

ob where my leg had been. And then, I hear

voice cold, stripped of sorrow. "I

her, Eleanor, agreed, devoid of so

eeded a legitimate reason to get rid of Sarah. Her injury allows me

ew assistant?

Eleanor' s voice

estly, it' s for the best. Now, it' s

ed over our daughter, who had held my hand, had

love, the trust, the family-all shattered. He

This was their plan. My daughter' s death, a business

th practiced pity. Then David announc

inguished to make way

ushed to me, feigning concern, reaching

r," I rasped, my

ed out. "I want

husband. My agreement wasn' t a victory; it was anoth

"This is her," he said. I clutched it, raw sobs

I remembered the glint of binoculars on the ridge-

y. And I had t

pping with false care. She watched David fuss

u?" she purred, stripping away her mask. "Your little

talking about

ere was only empty space, bandaged tightly. He hadn' t just le

ed, gesturing to the box. "There is no body.

Buddy, our loving d

hot hatred. David walked in. Monic

park?" he snarled. "It would ha

No grief. Just his sel

Monica, ignoring me. "You cou

complice, the mastermind. All judging me.

onica away. "The whole attack was to clear the way for y

takeover. Lily' s death, a necessary plot

The love was gone. The hurt transformed into something h

simple girl like me could give him the one thi

performance. In the town car home, the plan was in motion. The par

plunged into the

ne, refusing to believe my body was

onica snapped, "W

. Her cold cruelty finally di

ent, had bribed a guard to orchestr

rd finally confessed. "Th

He had murdered hi

"You made us kill my gr

d them taken to the huntin

ed, dragged away. "She heard

his knees, utterly broken. He offered millions, haunted. "P

was

ple, three years passed in quiet peace

walked in. Three ye

s, Lily' s face, the ashes, Monica' s tau

sbelief, hope, horror on h

"Don' t you

ammered, tears in his ey

I said, cold. "You had my le

r, stepped in. "Y

forgive me!" He held a letter open

ur punishment, David, is to live, every single day, with t

ay with Jack, and n

d CEO, drove off the same ravine. No

esert sunset, I feel Lily' s warm presence. She' s f