Chapter 3

Claire's POV

I laugh bitterly. "You want me to accept reality? My whole life, you were the only person I had."

Elijah's footsteps stop.

I look at his back. "Remember when we hid in that rundown place? You said once we had money, you'd buy me the biggest house. You said you'd give me a good life, that I'd never have to worry where my next meal was coming from."

"When you worked for the family, you'd haul cargo at the docks at night. One time you collapsed in the street from exhaustion, and you woke up asking if I'd eaten that day." My voice starts shaking. "On my eighteenth birthday, you spent three months' worth of savings on a cake. It was my first birthday ever. You said you'd do it every year after that."

"And that time someone tried to hurt me." I close my eyes. "You took your guys and tore through the entire South Side. You remember any of this?"

Elijah stays quiet for a long time, long enough that I think he might actually say something. But he just puts on his jacket and walks out without looking back.

The door closes softly, but it hits like a punch.

I stand there and suddenly I'm laughing. Those memories only matter to me now.

I don't know how long I stand there. When I finally snap out of it, it's already dark. I've made up my mind. I'm leaving this place, leaving the family, leaving the title of Donna, leaving him.

I walk out of my room, planning to find Elijah and end this. As I pass Isabelle's room, I hear laughter inside. I freeze.

Through the crack in the door, I see Isabelle curled up against Elijah. His hand strokes her hair, his voice soft. "Hey. Even if you can't have kids, it doesn't matter. I'll take care of you."

In that moment, I feel like I've been plunged into ice water.

He said those exact words to me. I thought that promise was ours alone.

Now I get it. They were just words he threw around. Whoever's with him, he puts on the same caring routine. Only I was stupid enough to hold onto those promises like they were treasure.

"Mom? What are you doing here?"

Owen's voice comes from behind me. I snap back and walk away fast.

Back in my room, I lean against the door and slide down to the floor. All those memories I thought would always mean something just seem pathetic now.

I close my eyes. I'll deal with it tomorrow. Tomorrow I'll leave.

---

The next morning, noise jerks me awake. Before I can figure out what's happening, the door slams open and two guards rush in, grabbing my arms and hauling me up.

Crack!

A slap cracks across my face. Blood fills my mouth.

Elijah walks in, Isabelle right behind him, eyes red from crying.

"Where's my mother's diamond brooch?" Isabelle points at me. "That's the only thing she left me. Where'd you hide it?"

I hold my face, taking a few seconds to catch up. So her brooch is missing and she's pinning it on me.

I laugh coldly. "I didn't take it."

"You're still lying!" Isabelle rushes at me with another slap. "You were in my room yesterday, and now it's gone. Who else could it be?"

I grab her wrist and shove her back hard. "I went there yesterday to talk to him about leaving the family. Don't believe me? Check the cameras."

At that, Elijah's brows knit together slightly, and Isabelle's face goes white.

Seeing her reaction tells me everything. She didn't even bother to stage this properly. That brooch is probably still sitting in her room somewhere, and she's terrified Elijah might actually check those cameras.

I stare at her. "Want to check them right now? If I really stole it, I'll turn myself in. But if I didn't, then it's slander, and we handle it the family way."

Isabelle's breathing picks up, like she wants to say something but can't get it out.

That's when Owen's voice cuts in from the doorway.

"She did steal it!"

Everyone turns to look at him. Owen stands there, jaw set, pointing at me. "I saw her outside Isabelle's room yesterday, sneaking around."