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Chapter One

“Look who e Six!”

An iPad landed on the kitchen table in front of me far harder than any iPad should ever land A paparazzi shot of a brunette vixen in a way-too-short asyh stilettos, on the arly handsoray shirt

“Page six? Of what?” My husband, Neil Elwood—“billionaire philanthropist” according to the caption beneath the photo on the screen—asked He neatly flipped an omelet like he was a professional chef and not a retired publishing nate

Unfortunately, he wasn’t the figure beside me in the photo That man sat across from me at the breakfast table He leaned over the iPad his eldest daughter, Amal, had nearly shattered on the table “‘Sophie Scaife, wife of billionaire philanthropist Neil Elwood, seen leaving 1 Oak with Bahraini shipping heir El-Mudad Ati’ Well, that’s not fair I’ heir”

“Would you have preferred ‘for the sardonic comment an even deeper cut to my American ears

Even as a hip thirty-soh—I was nowhere near as cosree in fashion journalish she wore her school’s required uniforiant nineties hoop earrings she described as “vintage” just to olden, sand-brown skin lossy black hair was set in a Janelle Monáe-inspired po about her screamed style

Teen girls made me feel old and a little threatened these days Especially since two of thee h

El-Mudad ignored Aers and their sarcasm “You’re an heir, as well If you’d like to stay one”

“I think you’rethe point of this photo, Baba,” A it look like you and Sophie are having an affair”

“Because we’re leaving a club together?” he scoffed

“As someone who once owned one of the sleaziest tabloids in the United Kingdom, I assure you, that’s all it takes” Neil didn’t sound concerned about either of those statements He plated the o before school today?”

“No, I want to get a smoothie on the way” She dropped a kiss on her father’s head and scooped up her keys from the counter