Chapter 1 - The Long Drive Home
"You will regret this, Claire."
Evelyn’s voice was a low, venomous hiss that barely carried over the murmurs of the stunned guests.
Claire did not look back.
She kept her gaze fixed on the heavy oak doors of the ballroom.
Her fingers gently squeezed Lily’s uninjured hand.
They walked out into the cool night air of the Harrow estate.
The valet was already bringing around Claire’s ten-year-old sedan.
It looked painfully out of place against the backdrop of luxury vehicles.
Claire didn’t care.
She opened the rear door.
She gently guided Lily onto the faded fabric of the backseat.
Lily pulled her knees to her chest.
The little girl stared out the window, her face pale under the glow of the driveway lamps.
Claire shut the door and took a deep breath.
Her hands were shaking.
The adrenaline was beginning to fade, leaving behind a cold, sharp dread.
She had just struck Evelyn Harrow.
She had assaulted the matriarch of the most powerful family in the state.
She slid into the driver’s seat.
She locked the doors immediately.
The engine sputtered before roaring to life.
Claire pulled out of the circular driveway without waiting for the valet to guide her.
She needed to get her daughter away from this poison.
The drive down the winding mountain road was silent.
The dark trees blurred past the windows like grasping shadows.
Claire glanced at the rearview mirror every few seconds.
She half expected to see a black SUV tailing them.
"Mom?"
Lily’s voice was barely a whisper.
Claire adjusted the mirror to see her daughter’s face.
"I'm here, sweetie."
"Is grandma going to put you in jail?"
The question felt like a knife to Claire’s ribs.
"No, baby."
"But she said you assaulted her."
"She was hurting you," Claire said firmly.
"Nobody is allowed to hurt you."
"Even if they are rich?"
"Especially if they are rich."
Lily sniffled and wiped her nose with the back of her uninjured hand.
"I just wanted her to like my flower crown."
Claire gripped the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white.
"Your crown was beautiful, Lily."
"It took me three days to make."
"I know."
"She said it looked like garbage."
Claire swallowed the hard lump forming in her throat.
"Evelyn doesn't know what beautiful is."
"Because she only likes things made of gold?"
"Because her heart is completely empty."
Claire turned onto the main highway leading back to the city.
The streetlights cast rhythmic shadows across the dashboard.
Her mind was racing a mile a minute.
Evelyn would not let this go.
The Harrows never let anything go.
When Claire’s husband, Thomas, died three years ago, Evelyn had tried to take everything.
She had tried to take the house.
She had tried to take the trust fund.
Most terrifyingly, she had tried to take custody of Lily.
Claire had fought her in court and barely won.
The only reason she had won was because of the file Thomas had left behind.
The file that Evelyn didn't know existed.
Until tonight.
Tonight, Claire had threatened to expose the truth.
It was a slip of the tongue fueled by pure maternal rage.
She had tipped her hand.
Evelyn now knew that Claire held a weapon.
And Evelyn Harrow was a woman who always struck first.
Claire reached into her purse on the passenger seat.
She pulled out her phone.
She had three missed calls.
All of them were from Julian.
She powered the phone off completely and tossed it into the glove compartment.
May you like
They needed to pack their bags tonight.
They could not be at the house when morning came.
