Something inside me cracked.
“She never once looked for you,” Evelyn said. “Not once. Not until now.”
The mansion. The timing. The desperation.
“Why now?” I whispered. “Why would she look for me now?”
Evelyn sighed. “Because your grandfather died last month,” she said, meeting my eyes. “And he left everything to you. You’re eighteen now, sweetheart. It’s all officially yours.”
A wave of nausea hit me. No. No, that couldn’t be…
“She came back because you’re her ticket, Emma,” Evelyn said softly. “If she convinces you to stay, she’ll have access to everything. You’re her ticket to the good life.”
The world blurred around me—the mansion, the tears, the trembling hands.
It wasn’t about love. It had never been about love.
It was about money.
