The Flower That Grew from Ashes novel Chapter 37

No one would ever suspect a grieving widow and her younger brother-in-law.

Especially when that brother-in-law had a wife who seemingly adored him.

Third, and most importantly...

Annelise absolutely could not have a child.

Only if Annelise remained barren could Clarissa and Hackett's child, Manuel, become the sole, undisputed heir to the Lehman dynasty's next generation.

That was why the "appendectomy" happened four years ago.

And that was why the "ectopic pregnancy" murder happened just recently.

Step by step, every link in the chain had been flawlessly executed without a single miscalculation.

This wasn't a spontaneous betrayal or a woman blinded by love.

This was a cold, patient, and exceptionally ruthless chess player executing a game board she had been setting up for at least five years.

Annelise slowly closed her eyes.

The violent, agonizing storm tearing through her chest began to settle.

In its place emerged a numb, glacial clarity.

She pulled a brand-new, hardcover notebook and a pen from her bag.

As the car rocked steadily along the road, she opened to the first page and began drawing a complex web of lines and boxes.

She wrote down every single name: Hackett, Clarissa, Barnum, Lizzie, Elias, Manuel, Josie...

Using different colored pens, she connected their relationships and mapped out every confirmed fact.

In red ink, she jotted down the discrepancies she needed to verify immediately.

Was Elias's "death" real?

What did "missing" actually mean?

Where was Manuel right now?

Annelise's pen pressed down hard, dragging a long, glaring streak of ink across the page.

She moved in.

She finally couldn't wait any longer.

Annelise slowly lifted her head, meeting her own gaze in the rearview mirror.

The reflection showed the corners of her mouth slowly curling upward into a faint smile.

It wasn't a bitter smile, nor was it self-deprecating.

It was the cold, faintly satisfied smile of a hunter watching their prey finally step onto the carefully rigged trap.

Bring it on.

Living under the exact same roof.

The real show was just beginning.