Chapter 5 THE BLACKWELL'S NAME'S RISEN, NEVER TO GO DOWN!

Lizzy Blackwell's POV

I screamed through the mansion with the strength of a jackhammer at dawn, throwing Ryan off whatever brooding he was wrapped up in. I didn't care. I had priorities, and they did not involve indulging my husband's endless wallowing over that girl.

I hugged the silk blouse in my hands and marveled at its perfection. Finally, after a month of waiting, the latest designs from Italy were mine, wrapped in tissue paper like the treasures they were, and exactly as I envisioned them. Of course, it was worth a scream; they were perfect; every stitch, every seam was perfection itself. I couldn't say the same about a certain other female presence in this house, but that was finally taken care of.

I barely registered Ryan's annoyed mutterings as he stumbled out of his office. "Lizzy, what are you doing? You nearly gave me a heart attack."

"Oh, please, Ryan. Must you look like that every time I get excited? It's not as if we're talking about something important." I waved him off with a dismissive flick of my fingers and continued checking the fabric one more time before setting it down. "This is serious. These clothes are couture."

Ryan looked at me with disdain before he slumped back into his office. Typical. Let him sulk. I had no intention of wasting my joy on his eternally guilty conscience.

After all, we were free of Lyra, weren't we? Finally, that weight was out of our lives, clearing the path for the life I deserved. Ryan had always been the soft one, blinded by his do-gooder fantasies, too sentimental to see what was plainly in front of him. But? I saw it all right from the day I saw that creature.

Oh, it had been years ago, long before she even entered our lives, but I knew, I always knew. I knew what a mistake that baby was the moment the nurse held her out to me, that squirming, screaming disappointment of a baby girl, not the son the politician had promised would be my ticket to influence, power, all that I craved. But a girl-useless. Pathetic. The politician had practically spit his rejection over the phone, cutting me off so fast I barely had time to compose myself. My ticket to glory was snatched away, simply because she had the nerve to be born female. I would have divorced Ryan by now and been the wife of the governor. But that brat of a girl rid me of the life I had always wanted.

Don't judge me yet, until you listen to my side of the story. Of course Ryan, I wouldn't say isn't rich, he's wealthy, but power-money is sweet when there's power

I took one look at that squalling infant and felt nothing but disgust. What was I supposed to do with her? A stain on my plans. But I was clever. I told everyone I was leaving for a "fashion program abroad," the perfect excuse to cover my absence during pregnancy. And I had paid a poor, desperate lady to take care of the thing while I reclaimed my life.

Until the lady, that insufferable woman abandoned her in front of my house. Dropped her like a curse, probably hoping for a bit of Blackwell cash if she caused enough of a scene. And who should happen to answer the door but my very own husband, the man with the heart of a sentimental fool?

He had fallen for her instantly. Oh, his heart melted at the sight of her. "We can't abandon her, Lizzy," he said, his eyes all wide and hopeful. "We'll raise her as our own."

Raise her as our own? As if that wretched thing would ever be mine. Still, I put on a show, forcing myself to smile, to go along with his ridiculous dream, hoping his fascination would wear off. But it never did. No, he insisted on adopting her, giving her the Blackwell name as if she deserved it as if she were anything but a blemish on our family's pristine record.

And that's how she worked her way in, inch by inch, despite my efforts to push her out. But did Lyra ever make it easy? No, she clung to Ryan like a parasite, feeding off his kindness, sucking up Ryan's attention that should have been mine.

So, yes, when I saw an opportunity to finally be free from seeing her, I seized it. I never believed my luck when I found out Ryan was in debt. The moment I realized what she could be used for, I was satisfied like no other. I finally had an answer to the question that had remained unanswered for years: How to rid myself of her once and for all.

And I was right. Giving Lyra over to Kael the overseer of the outer waste cliff, had been nothing short of poetic. She was gone, and Blackwell was safe. And best of all, it was a solution that Ryan himself couldn't argue with. Oh, he had tried and resisted, but ultimately, he caved, and that girl was whisked out of our lives for good.

But did I get thanks? Did I get any gratitude for cleaning up his mess? No. Ryan still looked at me like I was the villain as if I had committed some great sin. And yet here he was, benefiting just as much as I was from her absence. Hypocrite.

And now, here we were, invited to the Governor's Gala. The Blackwell's were back on top. It was our rightful place, where we belonged, and I intended to show every last one of those social climbers that the Blackwells were still untouchable.

I stared at myself in the mirror, admiring the smooth line of my jaw, and flawless complexion I had worked so hard to maintain. I was beautiful, powerful, and untouchable. I paid my dues, sacrificed my so-called "daughter," and clawed my way to the top of this city's social ladder. I endured the embarrassment of her presence, her impertinence, for years, and now she was gone, as she always should have been. I deserved this.

A knock sounded at the door. Ryan's voice was dreary as ever. "Lizzy, are you ready?"

I smirked, glancing one last time at my reflection, then swept out of the room. "Oh yes, darling. After all, we have a legacy to uphold, don't we?" I watched the flinch my words had produced in him and I grinned. And just as expected, he stiffened his face looking away.

"Let's just get through the evening, Lizzy," he muttered, sounding tired.

"Yes, dear." I patted his arm condescendingly, flashing him a sugary smile. "Let's." Because tonight was just the beginning., I had plans, and I was ready to stake my claim.

The Blackwell's name has risen to the top again, I thought. And if anyone got in my way?

Well, I had already proven what lengths I was willing to go.