Chapter 6

Eleonora closed the bedroom door behind them, shutting out the rest of the world.

Kelsey stood in the center of the room, her arms crossed over her chest. A defensive posture. She didn't touch anything. She didn't sit down.

With trembling fingers, Eleonora unclasped a necklace from around her own neck. It was a magnificent sapphire, surrounded by diamonds, that seemed to glow with an inner light.

She stepped toward Kelsey, intending to place it around her daughter's neck.

Kelsey instinctively pulled back. "What is that?"

"It's the Montgomery Star," Eleonora whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "It's passed down to the true heiress of each generation. It belongs to you."

Kelsey stared at the jewel. It was worth more than the Hill's entire mansion. It meant nothing to her.

Overwhelmed, Eleonora sank to the floor, clutching Kelsey's legs and sobbing uncontrollably. "I'm so sorry... we should have found you sooner... I'm so, so sorry..."

The raw, desperate grief of the woman at her feet chipped away at the ice around Kelsey's heart. Just a little.

She reached down and helped her mother to her feet. "It's too soon for this," she said, her voice softer than before. "I need time."

Eleonora nodded, wiping her tears away with a hopeful smile. She pressed the heavy necklace into Kelsey's hand. The stones were warm from her skin.

As Kelsey's fingers closed around it, she heard a faint sound from the hallway. A footstep. A rustle of silk.

She glanced at the bottom of the door. A shadow flickered there for a second, then vanished.

Clare. Eavesdropping.

A cold smile touched Kelsey's lips. She raised her voice just enough to be heard through the door. "The design is a little old-fashioned. I'm not sure I'll ever wear it."

Eleonora looked taken aback for a moment, then her expression softened into one of pure indulgence. "Of course, darling. We can have it reset. I'll contact a top designer to create something new, just for you!"

The casual promise of more wealth, more privilege, was meant to be comforting. To Kelsey, it felt like another chain.

After Eleonora left, Kelsey walked to the bedside table and locked the Montgomery Star in the drawer. She sat on the edge of the bed and closed her eyes. She didn't need a laptop or cameras. She replayed the sounds in her mind: the specific weight of Clare's footstep, the whisper of Thai silk against the doorframe, the sharp intake of breath when she'd called the necklace "old-fashioned." Years of forced silence had honed her other senses to a razor's edge.

She knew Clare had been there. She knew the girl's jealousy was a living, breathing thing in the hallway. Kelsey opened her eyes, a dangerous glint in them. She had expected a fight, and Clare was proving to be a predictable, and therefore vulnerable, opponent.

A soft knock at the door announced a maid, who brought in a stunning, floor-length red gown for the family dinner.

Kelsey looked at the dress, then at the sewing kit she always carried in her backpack. An idea formed. A wicked, wonderful idea.

She took a pair of scissors and, with a few quick, expert snips, transformed the elegant gown. The long, flowing skirt became a sharp, asymmetrical hemline that ended just above her knees.

She slipped on the modified dress and took the sapphire necklace from the drawer, dropping it unceremoniously into her small evening bag.

Looking in the mirror, she saw a stranger. The lost, broken girl from the Hill mansion was gone. In her place was a woman with fire in her eyes.

A voice from downstairs announced that dinner was served.

Kelsey took a deep breath and opened her door. Her heels clicked like gunshots on the polished marble floor as she walked toward the grand staircase.

Clare was waiting at the bottom, a smug, pitying smile on her face. The smile froze, then shattered, as she saw Kelsey descend.