"We have to get to the police station," Mom said, her voice shaking.
"I'm trying!" Dad said, fighting to control the driving wheel.
That's when I saw them in the rearview mirror. Two black cars were following us, getting closer and closer.
"Dad, they're behind us!" I screamed.
"I see them," he said, his mouth tight.
He turned the corner so fast that our car went up on two wheels. I thought we were going to flip over, but somehow we stayed standing.
"There!" Mom pointed ahead. "The police station!"
But just as we got close to safety, something terrible happened.
The turning wheel stopped working.
"I can't turn!" Dad shouted. "They cut the steering cable too!"
We were heading straight for a big tree at the end of the street. Dad tried everything, but the car wouldn't change direction.
"I love you both so much," Mom said, reaching back to grab my hand.
"I love you too," I said, tears running down my face.
Then everything went black.

~

Betrayed. Broken. Forgotten.

Amara Kingston lost everything the night her parents died—her family empire, her first love, and her place in the world. Five years later, she returns transformed, ready to reclaim what was stolen.

But in the battle for power and truth, Amara must face the man who betrayed her, the rival who challenges her, and the secrets that could destroy them all.

The moment Talia sat down at the table, the air became heavy. It was obvious, the elephant in the room. It wasn't just me who felt it. My parents had gone quieter, Jasper's hand never left mine, and even Ethan and Marcus men who barely knew her looked uneasy, as if they'd walked into a room with a ticking bomb.


I tried to force myself to eat, but every bite turned to dust in my mouth. I smiled when I needed to, nodded at small conversations, but all the while, I could feel Talia's eyes on me. Watching. Waiting.


Chapter 37 - Elephant In The Room