For My Legacy, I Was Thrown to the Sharks

I woke up in my penthouse suite, the morning sun streaming through the windows, glinting off crystal.

Today was my 25th birthday, the day I, Ava Corleone, was finally to be named the rightful heir of our powerful family.

Then a chilling memory flashed through my mind: the freezing Hudson River, water filling my lungs, the taste of betrayal.

My brother Marco, fiancé Alexander, and loyal protector Rick, all standing by as the maid, Katherine, wore my irreplaceable family tiara.

They'd told me I was a target, that Katherine was a decoy for my safety.