Chapter One Hundred and Ninety-Two
Alicia's POV
"My mother died in childbirth. The Blackwoods had nothing to do with that."
"Are you sure? Pa Blackwood specializes in making deaths look natural. In covering tracks. In eliminating anyone who gets in his way."
"My mother died because we couldn't afford good medical care. Because my father spent everything he had on—" I stopped. Realized what I was about to say.
On what? My father had been desperate. Broken. Like he'd lost something more than just his wife.
"Your father knew something, didn't he?" Emily's voice was soft now. Almost sympathetic. "Something about Hong Wei's death. Something about the Blackwoods. That's why he drank himself to death. Why he couldn't look at you without seeing what he'd done."
"Stop."
"The Blackwoods took everything from you, Alicia. Just like they took everything from me. And Malachi is exactly like his father. He'll use you. Control you. And when you're no longer useful, he'll discard you."
