ella
ice steady despite the adrenal
er eyes glued to the floor, her hands nervously twisting her white apron. "Excuse me
l be down short
silk sleeve. "It's a trap, Miss," she hissed, her eyes wide with panic. "They are go
to face her. "Tel
private lunch at The Drake. She wasn't alone." Cressie swallowed hard. "She was with Cecelia P
ow, but instead of pain, they broug
he entire Riggs family had orchestrated this betrayal, smiling in my face and spending my mother's money while secretly gro
pect I held for the Riggs name
up the heavy ledger and the brass keys to the estate safe, slipping them into
s my dowry had paid for. When I pushed open the double doors to Nonna Maria's sitting ro
f newly acquired wealth, and t
sofa closest to him. His mother, Carlene, hovered nearby, her eyes darting nervously. His young
onna Maria, perched in her high-b
Maria cooed, patting the empty space beside her
ter of the room. "I prefer to st
, and Cecelia's father, the judge, offers us invaluable protection in Chicago. But you... you have a brilliant mind for business. The family n
t out, clearly expecting me to bow my head and accept my n
finally at Cecelia, who was already looking a
as a cold, raz
othly, reaching into my handbag. "However, I mus
ltered. Angelo's
affairs was for exactly one year. That year ended yesterday. Second, thanks to the exorbitant
-bound ledger and the ring
be terribly disrespectful of me to overshadow the new brid
onto the mahogany coffee table.
ir suddenly pale faces, "the Riggs family finances are
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