The Rise of the Black Sheep Heiress

CHAPTER 1

Wedding Files

James' phone flashed and buzzed on the glass side table and Ade went to check it.

She took the phone in hand and the message that popped up made her heart twist painfully in her chest as bitter rage surged within her.

Her hands shook with the wedding preparation files she tightly held.

It was a message from Violet, his classmate who he once crushed on during his college days.

{ I enjoyed our kiss yesterday. I can't wait to taste those lips again ...giggles.}

"Oh dear gods," Ade sank into the soft ash sofa, strength leaving her legs.

An ice cold feeling of dread ran up her spine as her reality dawned on her.

This was what he had been up to?

Tears brimmed in Ade's eyes.

She had suspected. She had feared, especially since Violet had moved over to come live here in Los Angeles.

But there was no evidence. Quite the contrary, James had assured her, that her fears were unfounded.

But he would always leave the house with some good excuse in mind.

A business call here, a business meeting there.

Nothing much about Violet except plans to help her with the logistics of relocating and packing into her new home.

Or plans to go kill a fat rat that sneaked into her house.

Or to check in on her because she was going through a terrible break up.

How could she have been so stupid to not see it? To not see the patterns?

Ever since Violet had moved into LA, things had cratered terribly in their relationship.

James never gave her the time of day again. He never saw her the same way again.

The spark in his eyes had vanished, replaced by a dull, jaded, irritated look whenever he looked at her.

There was always something to do outside the house now that Violet had moved over.

He was always running away from her like she was the plague.

A flu.

A pariah

And it was every time they were about to plan their wedding ceremony.

Everyday that she had brought the subject matter up, he was suddenly too busy at the Cleland Family Head Company.

The same institution she had singlehandedly put in effort to establish, to stabilize, to demonstrate her unwavering support for him.

Tears threatened to fall the more she thought of it.

Why? Why would he do this to her? After everything? What hadn't she done for him?

With her good social skills she had worked hard to enable him and his family stand in society, bringing business deals and networks with aristocrats, those who held power.