Chapter 3

"That bitch!" Freya gritted her teeth. "I knew she was bad news. She's always acting all sweet and treating you nicely, but stabbing you in the back."

I just smiled and didn't say anything.

Freya blinked at me, surprised. "Aren't you mad?"

"Why would I be?" I replied. "Isn't this exactly what I've been waiting for?"

"So at the wedding..." Freya started.

"It was all an act," I cut her off. "If I hadn't acted convincingly, how would my dad ever hand over the shares?"

Freya opened her mouth and then finally managed, "So when your dad called and told you to give Maurice to Martha, you just played along and agreed?"

"Five percent of the shares," I said, holding up five fingers. "And the vice president position. He gave me more than I expected."

"But he's your dad." Freya protested, still baffled. "Why should you have to give up Maurice? You're his actual daughter. Why does Martha get to take your place?"

I lowered my gaze to the water in my glass, my voice barely audible. "As far as they're concerned, Martha's the real daughter. I'm just a genetic accident."

Freya was silent for a moment, then suddenly grabbed my hand. "Adelaide, what are you really up to?"

I looked up at her.

Freya was the only person I truly trusted. We were high school classmates, college roommates, and she knew everything about me, even about Branson.

"Remember Branson?" I asked.

Freya's face darkened.

"I need to give him closure," I said.

"But he's already..." Freya began.

"I know," I cut her off. "That's exactly why I have to do this."

Freya looked at me, her gaze softening with pain. "Six years, and you still can't let go?"

"How am I supposed to let go?" I gave a bitter smile. "He died saving me.

"If it hadn't been for that accident, he could've been an architect by now, maybe built a bunch of houses, maybe become famous, maybe... maybe we'd still be together."

My voice caught in my throat.

Freya hugged me. "Stop, don't go on."

I took a deep breath, forcing back my tears.

"After the accident, my parents took me back. Do you know why?" I said quietly. "It wasn't because they missed me.

"The Shelton family just needed to tie the knot with the Montgomery family. Maurice had a heart problem as a kid. He needed a new heart. And Branson..."

My voice faltered. I just couldn't say it.

Freya froze. "You mean..."

"Yeah." I shut my eyes. "After Branson's accident, he was rushed to the hospital. He could've made it.

"But my parents told the doctors to give up on him, just so the Montgomery family would owe the Shelton family big time. Branson's heart ended up in Maurice."

The room was dead silent.

Freya let go of me and stepped back, her face drained of color. "How... how do you know all this?"

"I overheard it at the Shelton house," I said. "I found my dad's calls with the Montgomerys, and the hospital records too."

"Then why didn't you say anything?" Freya asked.

"Who would I even tell?" I shot back. "My parents? They couldn't care less if Branson died. The Montgomerys? They only care about their own kid.

"The cops? There's no real evidence, and everything from back then was covered up long ago."

Freya slumped onto the couch, unable to say a word for a long moment.

"So you got involved with Maurice." Her voice trembled.

"Yeah," I said. "I need to guard his heart."

Even saying it out loud made me feel twisted.

But that was the truth.

Every time Maurice's heart beat, it was like Branson was still here with me.

When I had dinner with Maurice, it was as if I were sharing a meal with Branson.

Whenever I talked to Maurice, it felt like I was talking to Branson.

Even at night, when Maurice got close to me, I closed my eyes and imagined it was Branson holding me.

It had been six years, more than 1,900 days and nights.

I had made myself crazy.

"Adelaide..." Freya's eyes were rimmed with tears. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"Would it have made any difference?" I said. "Did you want to lose your mind right along with me?"

Freya wiped her tears. "So what now? What are you going to do?"

"Maurice thinks he's fooling me," I said, standing up and walking to the window. "But really, I'm the one fooling him. He thinks I can't live without him, thinks I'm just some hotel manager, and thinks I don't know a thing."

I turned to Freya. "But what he doesn't know is that over the past six years, I got my MBA, studied finance, and got to know all the Shelton Group's key clients.

"He neither knows that I've already got the evidence from the accident—just one last step to go."

"What's the last step?" Freya asked.

"I want my dad to give me control himself," I said. "Today, he handed me the VP position and five percent of the shares, but that's just the start. I'm going to force him to hand over the entire Shelton Group."

Freya drew a deep breath. "You're out for revenge."