Chapter 8 - The Great Departure
Forty-eight hours later, the transformation was complete.
The sprawling Sterling estate in Coral Gables was completely deserted, its wrought-iron gates padlocked and bearing bright orange foreclosure notices stamped by Campbell Holdings. The luxury vehicles in the circular driveway were gone, replaced by a dusty, dented sedan that my parents had managed to purchase with their last remaining pocket cash.
From the tinted window of our penthouse overlooking the bay, I watched as a single, overloaded car drove slowly down the coastal highway, heading north out of Miami.
They were gone. Stripped of their wealth, their status, and their delusions of grandeur, they melted quietly into anonymity, vanishing into the vast, indifferent expanse of the country.
I took a slow sip of my coffee, feeling the profound, unshakable peace settling deep into my bones.
Blake walked up behind me, wrapping his strong arms around my waist and resting his chin gently on my shoulder.
“Are you okay?” he murmured, his breath warm against my neck.
I leaned back into his embrace, closing my eyes. “I’ve never felt more alive, Blake.”
“Good,” he whispered, kissing my cheek. “Because the annual Miami Metropolitan Charity Gala is tomorrow night. And the entire city is waiting to see the true Mrs. Campbell take her rightful place at the top.”
May you like
I opened my eyes, staring out at the breathtaking expanse of the ocean where the sun was beginning to set, painting the sky in brilliant shades of gold and crimson.
The girl who had been shoved into the fountain in a ruined silk dress was gone. In her place stood a queen, and her reign had only just begun.
