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Chapter One

Chloe

“Can I get you anything, Miss Parker-Baskerville?”

“No, thank you, Miles I’et some sleep”

“Very well And, ”

Miles has never had any expression on his dour face, not since he cao, but today, the lines and wrinkles droop just a fraction more, and the corners of his lips describe an even deeper reverse crescent This is the face of his enuine one I’ve yet seen

My father died four days ago The funeral was yesterday Today I have been called into edly irieve None of them have been important at all, as far as I can tell I am the last of my line I have no brothers, no sisters My s either His entire estate has been left to

Forty three point six billion dollars sit in accounts And that’s just what’s liquid I own assets across the world Businesses, buildings, thousands of hectares of real estate and three islands

I’d give it all away for one day with the man who earned it

I just want to be alone I’rief They can’t hide the avarice in their eyes People look at me and they see money They always have, one way or another Boys wanted to date me because they knewto seduce le I never know if people are interested in ot a whole lot worse

Retreating to my bedroom, I try to pretend to myself like none of this has happened If I just push recent events out of my mind, it’s almost as if my father is still here We were never an overly close little faht in my mind I kneas there if I needed him And now he’s not

The world has co anymore, and I have little interest in the life I have inherited

Once I am fully alone, I strip the black lace dress froht ood My father already owned several charitable foundations, but I intend to increase those givings several-fold I used to thinkIt see the rest of the world had to endure, but I have just discovered in a harsh way that all the money in the world doesn’t protect you froet sick and die My father got sick and died He was only forty-nine years old Far too young but it happened anyway

Life is short I’ to live it my way Everybody I’ve met with today has had an idea for my money and my life They’ve wanted me to be a spokesperson, a model That’s all I’ve done up to this point, after all Counting carbs and stalking runways and pretending that

My ret as I step into the shower The twin jets cascade over my skin They feel incredible I take a deep breath and try to take stock of myself I have the kind of wealth and power people drearief passes, I will starta difference

There’s a little voice in the back of ht and asks me what difference I’ve bothered to make up until this point, but I push it away I don’t need to feel any more worthless than I already do

I hear so outside the bathrooisters when hts step on it

I stick my head out of the shower and call out

“Miles? Is that you?”

There’s no response But I’m sure there’s someone out there I can just… feel it Miles never listens to me He does what he believes needs to be done, no ht He has been in the background of s a little more comfortable one little touch at a time You knohen Miles has been in a room The bed will be turned down There won’t be a hint of dust There will be a drink of sparkling water, cooled to the perfect teht now, I don’t need him