EMBER’S POV

My mother, young and hungry and desperate to claw her way out of poverty, latching onto the first man who seemed like he could give her more.

My father, spinning elaborate lies about wealth and status, letting her believe he was the rich alpha driving those flashy cars when really he was just the chauffeur, borrowing someone else’s shine to make himself look brighter.

I think about the moment she found out. Pregnant and trapped and furious, stuck with a man who had nothing to offer but broken promises and empty pockets.

She’d gambled everything on a lie and lost, and she never forgave him for it. Never...