On the day of Tahlee’s 18th birthday gala, the entire family had been busy since six in the morning.
Mom personally did her makeup.
Dad greeted the guests downstairs.
Rhys knelt on the floor, carefully arranging the skirt of her princess gown.
Graham held the pearl tiara, ready to place it on her head.
When I got dressed and came downstairs, no one noticed I was carrying just one bag.
Tahlee spotted me in the mirror and suddenly spoke.
“Sloane, why aren’t you wearing a gown?”
“My ceremony’s already over.”
“But we’re taking a family portrait today.”
Rhys didn’t even bother looking at me. He was too busy fussing over Tahlee’s dress.
“What she’s wearing is fine.”
“Come on, we’re wasting time.”
Mom nodded in agreement.
“That’s right, today’s Tahlee’s big day.”
“Sloane shouldn’t wear anything too flashy.”
I’d seen that coming.
So for this oh-so-prestigious family portrait, I was supposed to show up in a hoodie just to keep Tahlee happy?
What a joke.
The family chauffeur pulled up outside.
I was about to get into the car when Mom suddenly remembered something.
“Sloane, did you talk to the musician?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
She breathed a sigh of relief and turned back to fixing Tahlee’s hair.
No one asked why I hadn’t gotten into their car.
And no one noticed when I climbed into a different car headed for the airport.
As the car pulled away from the Fontaine family estate, I slipped my house key into an envelope and handed it to the family butler.
“Give this to them when they get home tonight.”
The butler froze.
“Miss Fontaine, you’re not coming back?”
“No.”
Messages kept popping up on my phone.
Rhys wanted me to confirm the music for the ceremony.
Mom wanted me to remind the hotel staff to replace the flowers.
Dad wanted me to contact the media and have the negative online comments about last night’s heirloom family crest brooch incident taken down.
The last message came from Graham.
“Tahlee’s a little nervous. Don’t go around looking annoyed.”
I didn’t reply to a single one.
At 8:40 a.m., I arrived at the airport.
At that same moment, Tahlee’s 18th birthday gala officially began.
Wearing my pearl tiara, she descended the spiral staircase.
The spotlights came on.
But the piano music never started.
The event coordinator hurried over to Mom.
“Miss Fontaine’s musician says he hasn’t been paid in full.”
Mom’s expression changed.
“Get Sloane over here to deal with it.”
She called me three times.
I didn’t answer.
Rhys took the phone from her impatiently.
“She’s throwing another tantrum.”
Graham frowned and sent me a voice message.
“Sloane, knock it off.”
“Tahlee’s ceremony has already started.”
“Come over now, and I won’t hold this against you.”
I played the message, listened to the whole thing, and deleted it.
The boarding announcement sounded.
I pulled my suitcase toward the security checkpoint.
Meanwhile, legal counsel for the Fontaine family arrived at the ballroom carrying documents.
Dad was still ordering the staff to get the music playing.
But the lawyer stepped forward and handed him an official notice.
“Mr. Fontaine, Miss Sloane Fontaine withdrew from the inheritance track last night.”
“Under the late chairman’s rules, the Fontaine family’s temporary voting authority has been suspended as of today.”
The color drained from Dad’s face.
“She withdrew?”
“Who gave her permission?!”
The lawyer adjusted his glasses.
“She’s legally an adult.”
“She doesn’t need anyone’s permission.”
Mom covered her mouth in shock.
“That’s impossible!”
“Sloane cares more about being the chosen heir than anything else!”
“She’s been saying since she was little that she’d protect the Fontaine family business!”
Rhys suddenly seemed to realize something.
He turned and headed for the door.
“I’m going home to find her.”
Graham followed him.
The two of them rushed back to the Fontaine family estate and pushed open my bedroom door.
Only a few old clothes remained in the closet, and neither of them could remember who’d bought them.
Every photograph had been removed from my desk.
All the gifts Graham had given me were still there.
Not a single one was missing.
They’d just been neatly packed into a cardboard box.
Right on top sat the wind-up music box with “Tahlee” carved into its wooden case.
Rhys picked it up.
His fingertips began to tremble.
Graham frantically called my number over and over.
“We’re sorry. The number you’re trying to reach is currently unavailable.”
Only then did the family butler bring them the envelope.
“Miss Fontaine asked me to give you this when you returned.”
Inside were just two things.
A house key.
And a printed flight itinerary.
Departure time: 9:15 a.m.
Rhys jerked his head toward the wall clock.
9:07 a.m.
Graham spun around and raced downstairs.
Just then, the heart-rate-monitoring smartwatches on both their wrists sounded piercing red alerts.
Tahlee’s heart rate had reached 189 bpm.
Mom called immediately afterward.
“Tahlee passed out in the ballroom!”
“Both of you, get back here! Now!”
But a second later, Rhys and Graham…