From substitute bride to CEO

lent except for the soft scrape of exp

ays did. To anyone looking in from the outside,

Carter k

had said, and her father, Richard Carter sat at the head of the table scrolling through documents on his tablet without looking up o

t down with a sharp sound

ne loo

at made Chloe's stomach tighten

said, staring at all of

Evelyn straighte

ened?" Eve

orehead slowly. "The

Amelia's fork slipped from her fingers and rang against the plate.

espected companies in New York. She had grown up in its shadow, had hear

rs are pulling out. Loans are overdue. If we don't act now,

velyn more than anything else. Her express

hat happen," sh

at meant he had already made a decision without consultin

over the table

Cold, ruthless, powerful beyond measure. He had never been seen smiling in any photograph. People who worked with him d

wed. "You mea

ly has agreed to help us, but they have one condition. "A ma

ared at her father, and Chloe watched as understanding cross

Amelia

s jaw ti

eli

tremor she couldn't quite control. "Everyone knows what he's like.

calm her, but Amelia shook her head ove

felt it befor

ticular

slowly, and their eye

heart

o someone who wouldn't fight back hard enough. Richard raised his eyes next. Then Amelia. Three pairs of eyes

re anyone could speak, h

d. "What do y

table to steady herself. Her heart was hammering but she

per than anything else that had happened in the last five minutes. Being someone's relief, someone

a business negotiation wasn't going

aw, more vulnerable than she intended, and she hated

ely, and the silence was

first. "Ameli

years young

melia has a futu

ears absorbing the smaller versions of this, the overlooked birthdays, the conversations that stopped when she entered rooms, the way her achievements were acknowledged briefly and then forgotten while Amelia's were celebrated for

she said with tears s

ugh it wasn't kind. "We raised you. We gave you a home, food, an

the way they always worked, even when she could see exactly what

e because Amelia

y dis

at with her hands in her lap and her eyes on the table. Evelyn simply looked at

across the table. It stopped in front of Chlo

nted clearly on the line. A signa

ady

thout flinching. "The co

. She had never been a daughter in this house. She had always just been something useful, something av

the contract a