Chapter 1

My daughter got into an Ivy League university, and I was so happy I booked a celebration dinner at the Lakeview Hotel, where a head costs about two hundred dollars.

Then I shared the news in the family group chat.

And of course the aunts and cousins had things to say.

"Your kid is this impressive, and you book some cheap little hotel?"

"If you ask me, Crestwood Resort is the fanciest place around. That's where you go if you want it to look good."

They never asked me.

They just took it upon themselves to move it to a luxury resort where a single head runs into the thousands. Crestwood Resort.

They even ordered every expensive dish and drink there, plus party favors.

I'd just finished working late and was about to head over to the Lakeview Hotel when my daughter called, crying.

"Mom, come quick, they say the bill is five hundred thousand dollars and you have to come pay it now, and if it isn't paid they won't let me leave!"

My blood boiled, and my face went cold.

They'd forgotten. In thirty years as a lawyer, no one had ever gotten the better of me.

1

My daughter's crying tore me apart.

My hand shook around the phone with rage.

"Cicely Butler, how much did you say the bill was?"

"Five hundred thousand?"

Cicely's voice was thick with tears.

"Five hundred thousand, and I didn't eat a single bite."

"I just said we shouldn't be the ones paying, I wanted to call the police, and they took my phone away..."

"Mom, I'm so scared, can you please come get me?"

These aunts and cousins were holding my daughter hostage at Crestwood Resort, all so they could eat a lavish meal on someone else's dime.

I took a deep breath.

"Cicely, put the manager on."

A moment later a trained, professional male voice came on the line.

"Ms. Butler, hello. I'm Bruno Dickerson, the lobby manager at Crestwood Resort."

"Mr. Dickerson, my daughter is a minor. Holding her there is unlawful detention."

"And I never authorized anyone to run up a bill at your establishment. I don't recognize this five hundred thousand."

I said it one word at a time.

"I'm calling the police now. I'll be there in ten minutes."

I hung up.

I dialed 911 right away.

Started the car and drove toward Crestwood Resort.

The whole way, the family group chat kept blowing up with messages.

"Dorothy Butler, why aren't you here yet? You're over two hours late."

"Exactly. It's your own daughter's celebration dinner and you're the one running late? What's that about?"

"We've all just been sitting here waiting on you. Good thing your mom told us to go ahead and eat, or who knows how long we'd have waited."

My eyes flicked over it, and my hands tightened on the wheel.

My mom.

A woman I had never once called Mom, and she thought she could throw around borrowed authority and make decisions for me?

I pushed open the doors of Crestwood Resort.

The whole banquet hall was lit up bright.

The tables alone came to six.

Every one loaded with premium delicacies and expensive dishes, party favor boxes stacked on top, elegant and far from cheap.

At the sound of the door, every head turned toward me.

"Well, look who finally showed up!"

Sophie Finch, my aunt, was the first to come at me.

"Look at this spread. Isn't it something?"

"A hundred times better than that dump of a Lakeview Hotel you booked, right?"

I went around her, scanning anxiously for my daughter. "Cicely!"

My daughter, Cicely, saw me, and her tears spilled over at once.

"Mom, I did what you said, I went to the Lakeview Hotel to wait."

"But Grandma shoved me into the car and insisted on bringing me to Crestwood Resort."

"They wouldn't let me leave, said if I left there'd be no one to pay..."

I raised my eyes and gave my stepmother, Susannah Fox, a cold stare.

She caught my look, flinched, and quickly turned her eyes away.

"It's okay. Mom's here."

I put my arm around my daughter's shoulders and turned to face this roomful of so-called relatives.

"I booked the Lakeview Hotel. My daughter's celebration dinner was supposed to be there."

"You people decided on your own to gather here. It has nothing to do with me."

"Now I'm taking my daughter and leaving. If any of you dare stop us, or try to force me to pay, don't blame me for calling the police."

With that, I turned to leave with my daughter, only for a swaggering figure to block my way.

"The rest of us guests haven't left yet. What's the idea, the host walking out first?"

The one talking was my cousin, Nathan Lambert.

He rolled up his sleeves, deliberately showing off the dragon-and-tiger ink on his arms, and gave a cold little laugh.

"Cousin, your daughter got into an Ivy League school, and we all came to give you face. And now you're going to give us attitude?"