I walked into my dad’s hotel gala and heard my stepmother snap, “Security, remove her.” I left without saying a word, then quietly

my stepmother noticed me.

Celeste Halston turned away from the mayor’s wife, her silver gown flashing beneath the chandeliers. Her smile froze, then turned sharp.

“What is she doing here?” she said.

I stopped just inside the ballroom entrance.

Dad stepped forward once. “Mara—”

Celeste snapped her fingers toward the lobby. “Security, remove her.”

The words continue reading …