Chapter 1
"You're supposed to be dead." Derek Hale's voice cracked as he grabbed my wrist in the middle of the crowded restaurant. "I buried you. I mourned you. Where the hell have you been for five years?"
His grip tightened. Behind him stood my sister, Vanessa, her face white as chalk.
I looked down at his hand on my wrist, then at my twin daughters coloring quietly at our table, and felt nothing.
Five years ago, Derek and Vanessa watched me fall from that cliff. They never called for help. They left me to die in the ravine, six months pregnant with twins, so they could collect my inheritance and marry each other without guilt.
What they didn't know was that someone pulled me from the water that night.
"Let go of me," I said calmly.
Derek didn't. His eyes scanned my face like he was seeing a ghost. "Lily, I don't understand. How is this possible? We searched—"
"You searched?" I laughed. "You didn't even look over the edge."
His friends gathered closer, blocking the aisle. Vanessa clutched Derek's arm, her voice trembling with practiced sweetness.
"Derek, she's confused. Maybe it's someone who looks like her. Lily is gone. We saw her fall—"
"Shut up, Vanessa."
My sister flinched. She still had that innocent face, those wide doe eyes that fooled everyone. The same face she wore when she told me Derek had been in a car accident, luring me to that cliffside road at midnight.
"Mommy?" My daughter Ellie looked up from her coloring book, her sharp eyes assessing the situation. "Is this man bothering you? Should I call Daddy?"
Derek's expression shifted. He stared at my daughters — their dark hair, their green eyes. His green eyes.
"They're mine," he whispered. "Those are my children."
"No." I pulled my wrist free. "They are nothing of yours."
"Lily, you can't just—"
"Their last name is Cavanaugh. Their father is Alexander Cavanaugh. And if you touch me again, you'll find out exactly what that means."
The blood drained from Derek's face.
Alexander Cavanaugh — the man who owned half this city. The man whose name made boardrooms fall silent. The man no one dared cross.
"You're lying," Vanessa hissed, stepping forward. "There's no way someone like him would marry someone like you."
I smiled at my sister — the woman who stole my husband, my home, my inheritance, and tried to steal my life.
"Vanessa, you took everything from me once. You won't get a second chance."
I gathered my daughters and walked toward the exit.
Derek called after me, "This isn't over, Lily! Those are my children! I have rights!"
I didn't turn around.
He had no idea what was coming.
His grip tightened. Behind him stood my sister, Vanessa, her face white as chalk.
I looked down at his hand on my wrist, then at my twin daughters coloring quietly at our table, and felt nothing.
Five years ago, Derek and Vanessa watched me fall from that cliff. They never called for help. They left me to die in the ravine, six months pregnant with twins, so they could collect my inheritance and marry each other without guilt.
What they didn't know was that someone pulled me from the water that night.
"Let go of me," I said calmly.
Derek didn't. His eyes scanned my face like he was seeing a ghost. "Lily, I don't understand. How is this possible? We searched—"
"You searched?" I laughed. "You didn't even look over the edge."
His friends gathered closer, blocking the aisle. Vanessa clutched Derek's arm, her voice trembling with practiced sweetness.
"Derek, she's confused. Maybe it's someone who looks like her. Lily is gone. We saw her fall—"
"Shut up, Vanessa."
My sister flinched. She still had that innocent face, those wide doe eyes that fooled everyone. The same face she wore when she told me Derek had been in a car accident, luring me to that cliffside road at midnight.
"Mommy?" My daughter Ellie looked up from her coloring book, her sharp eyes assessing the situation. "Is this man bothering you? Should I call Daddy?"
Derek's expression shifted. He stared at my daughters — their dark hair, their green eyes. His green eyes.
"They're mine," he whispered. "Those are my children."
"No." I pulled my wrist free. "They are nothing of yours."
"Lily, you can't just—"
"Their last name is Cavanaugh. Their father is Alexander Cavanaugh. And if you touch me again, you'll find out exactly what that means."
The blood drained from Derek's face.
Alexander Cavanaugh — the man who owned half this city. The man whose name made boardrooms fall silent. The man no one dared cross.
"You're lying," Vanessa hissed, stepping forward. "There's no way someone like him would marry someone like you."
I smiled at my sister — the woman who stole my husband, my home, my inheritance, and tried to steal my life.
"Vanessa, you took everything from me once. You won't get a second chance."
I gathered my daughters and walked toward the exit.
Derek called after me, "This isn't over, Lily! Those are my children! I have rights!"
I didn't turn around.
He had no idea what was coming.