Page 31 of Secret Dynasty

I flinched at the sound of her name. “Why should I trust you?”

“Because I’m protecting you,” he said. “Marrying Spencer will keep you safe.”

“From what?” I sobbed. All the pieces were laid before me, but they still didn’t form a picture. I didn’t know how they ever could.

“I made a deal after your mother’s accident,” he admitted in a low voice. “Questions were being asked. There was going to be an inquiry.”

“It was an accident,” I said, repeating his own words.

“Not everything added up to that,” he said. “I couldn’t let them look into more, so I struck a deal with Lord Byrd and he made it go away. If you call the wedding off, Lord Byrd ensured the inquiry would be reopened, even after his death.”

“Why would he do that?”

“Our money will help Spencer’s party get the majority in the general election and keep that power. Lord Byrd believed it would help Spencer rise to leader of his party more quickly if his family’s money was putting MPs in their seats. Once you’re married, he’ll be able to finance as many campaigns as are necessary.”

I was a bank account to the Byrds. Nothing more.

“I don’t understand,” I said slowly. “Why would you be willing to give him that much money to avoid an investigation?”

“It’s better if the accident remains an accident,” he said darkly.

“Are you saying someone killed her? Tried to kill me? Why would you cover that up? To protect your reputation? Was it you?”

I’d never asked questions about that night. Now it had come up two times in one day.

“No, I didn’t kill your mother,” he said sadly. “I think you did.”

Chapter Seventeen

He didn’t stop me from leaving. I didn’t bother with the test results, but as I climbed into the Porsche I scrounged up the courage to call Eliza.

“Hey, I was just going to call you,” she said when I picked up.

My stomach twisted into a knot. “Oh.”

“Your test results arrived,” she said. “Do you want me to take the train up and bring them to you?”

I closed my eyes, pressing the phone so hard to my ear that it hurt. “Just open them.”

“Are you sure?” She sounded uncertain.

“Yeah.”

“Okay, drumroll.” Paper rustled on the other end of the line then it went silent.

“Eliza?” I prompted after a minute.

“Fuck,” she whispered. “I…I’m sorry.”

I didn’t wait for her to tell me it was a match. “I’ll call you later.”

I hung up the phone before she could ask questions or try to soothe me. Ten minutes had changed my life into one I didn’t recognize. I flipped open the car’s visor and inspected myself in the mirror. I knew the face staring back at me. Nothing else. My skin was splotchy from tears and my eye make-up smudged. I dabbed at it with my fingers to fix it. The redness would fade.

I stared at my reflection. “Who are you?”

Was I a killer? I’d never thought I’d ask myself that question. There were things I knew now. Indisputable facts. I was Kerrigan Belmond. I was engaged to Spencer Byrd. I was worth billions. These facts were like tent poles, propping up the makeshift identity I’d been forced to inhabit. Now I needed to build something solid on them.

Because I had to marry Spencer.I couldn’t remember my past. Maybe I was a murderer. Maybe I was responsible for my mother’s death. Tod had agreed to the marriage to protect me. He’d traded a life in prison for one in a gilded cage.