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Talk about making an entrance. This isnothow I wanted Clementine to find out. You’re probably wondering where I’ve been. Or what the hell is going on. Basically, I’ve made a mess of my life with no clean up crew in sight. I’ve always been the one needing someone to take care of me. I tried my hardest to be the older sister Clementine could be proud of, but always felt like I let her down. Well, not this time.
My mistakes started when I was fresh out of high school. My parents were too poor to put me through college, so I had to work. And I landed a sweet job right after I graduated, taking care of Mrs. Ivanna Blackstone, mother to a very wealthy Alastair Blackstone.
I’d heard rumors about the Blackstones, that all that money they flaunted wasn’t exactly legal. I never knew what Alastair did for a living, but when I pulled up to his 17th-century colonial mansion, I no longer cared how he had made his money, all I cared about was the fact I had a job.
It was an easy gig—care for the mother, brush her hair, bathe her, and help make her meals. It was too good to be true. I liked Ivanna. She had fire in her frail body. We’d laugh, and she’d tell me stories about all the men who once fought for her hand in marriage. She said I reminded her of herself when she was young.
During my time working at the estate, I also grew a little too close to her grandson, Bishop Blackstone, heir to a kingdom. I was overwhelmed by his ridiculously good looks and charm.
We fell in love, or so I thought.
The days turned into weeks that then turned into months, and I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Bishop.
But, his father had different plans. Alastair expected him to take over the family business, and Bishop had no choice. No one defies Alastair. And, as I was quickly finding out, no one defies Bishop either.
Ivanna’s health deteriorated. And then, one day while I sat with her, Ivanna told me another story. She told me thefamilybusiness. She warned me about secret dealings and made men. She used words like mafia, mob, and criminals. She told me the only way out was by death.
The day Bishop became a made man, and I realized Ivanna wasn’t just telling stories about exactly what the Blackstone’s did, was one of the hardest days of my life thus far.
To top it off, I had just found out I was pregnant.
I sat with Ivanna day in and day out, trying to think of a way out. But, one thing I was quickly learning was Bishop always got what he wanted. And what he wanted was me. Ever since he took his ‘throne,’ he’d been looking for his princess, and I knew deep down that could never be me.
When Ivanna died, I could only focus on the negative.
I couldn’t raise a child with a monster, and not having the child wasn’t an option. I couldn’t condemn my child I had no idea what to do. I turned to the only person who could help me—Clementine.
We thought for hours on a plan to help me escape. We went over every detail for weeks on how I could get myself out of this mess.
And then one night, it hit us like a ton of bricks. Leave the city, run away and pass the baby off as Clementine’s, so Bishop would never know.
It was a good, solid plan. We had everything in place and left to visit family in Alabama while I carried a healthy boy to term.
We brought him home, and everything was done. Clementine now had a son, Tennyson. And I had the most precious nephew anyone could ever ask for. He was perfect. With ten perfect toes and ten amazingly perfect fingers. I raised him for the first few months, taking a job as Joseph Prince’s caretaker.
And then I met Joseph’s grandson, Ronin, and my world spun out of control. It was like deja vu all over again, and I wouldn’t make the same mistake. But I guess I was destined to, because like I said, I’m a screw up. Because destiny is a funny beast, never caring about our past mistakes and only ever focusing on the future.
For months, I fought the attraction. For months, I tried my hardest, until finally he wore me down with his charm and asked me out.
I agreed, causing a chain of events to spiral out of control.
I may have put Bishop out of my mind, but I was front and center in his. And when he found out I was dating Ronin, he lost it. He couldn’t be stopped. The threats started, and then it got worse and worse until one day I broke down and told Joseph Prince everything, begging for his help.
And he swore on his life he’d help hide me from the monster. I agreed, not knowing the terms or realizing his plan was flawed.
Flawed in so many ways. Just like me.
A fake death and I would live out the rest of my days under a new name and never contact anyone I’d ever known. Easy, but the hardest thing I’d ever do.
We faked me getting fired, I played the part of upset, and Joseph took care of the rest.
For the greater good, I’d sacrifice myself to keep my loved ones safe until Joseph Prince could figure out a way to ruin Bishop Blackstone once and for all. I was too naive to realize people like Bishop don’t get ‘ruined.’ You might temporarily stun them, but they rise up stronger. Just like me.
Chapter 43
Gabriel
I never expected Ronin to show up at the airport with Clementine’s sister, Savannah. From a distance, I thought it was Clementine. I was about to pummel my own brother to the ground when I thought he had something to do with my fiancee’s disappearance. I couldn’t even think straight. Until I walked closer, and saw the difference.
