When The Charity Case Buys The Empire

I was the Bradford family's charity case, groomed to be Liam Bradford's wife, endlessly cleaning up his messes.

Discreet calls to pharmacies, quiet payoffs – that was my life, a familiar, suffocating routine.

Then, Eleanor Bradford's chilling call: "Ava, the penthouse. Now."

I walked in to find Sophia Hayes, Liam's high school sweetheart, artfully tear-streaked and clutching her stomach.

"It's her, or me and our babies!"

Liam didn't even look at me. "It's Sophia. She's pregnant. Twins."