The crowd fell silent as everyone listened intently to her speech.

“Luther and Emilia adopted me when I was just a baby,” Hailey continued. “It’s true that Luther betrayed my biological father, but the truth is that my father, Mason Parker, had asked Luther to take care of me and my biological mother, Anna, in his place.

“My mother was pregnant with me at the time, and Mason didn’t want her to be alone. Also, Luther van Gowen did not orchestrate Mason Parker’s accident. After all, Mason was his best friend and partner, and Luther was wracked with guilt over what had happened. Nevertheless, he kept his promise to Mason...