Female Novel
Chapter 1
Prologue
“And the estate, businesses, and all holdings will go to Miranda Dupree.”novelbin
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Sophie Blackwood refused to stay silent. She didn’t know exactly what todo, what to say, but she couldn’t just sit there and do nothing.
How in the hell did her father’s ex-wife—his very young ex-wife—manage to sweep the entireinheritance? She was nothing but a gold-digging socialite.
Unacceptable.
Sophie and her father had never been close, but to will everything to the much younger woman whowas no longer even his wife was a slap in the face.
Buckley “Buck” Blackwood continued to disappoint her even in death. Sophie glanced over to thewoman in question who actually had the nerve to look surprised. Please, like she hadn’t dug her clawsso deep into Sophie’s father... She knew this moment was coming.
Sophie shifted her focus to her brothers who were equally as stunned at the will that their father’slawyer, Kace LeBlanc, kept right on reading from, listing off each item, as if giving everything to an exwere perfectly normal.
Well, Sophie didn’t have to stay and listen to this nonsense. She loved her brothers, but there was nolove between her and Miranda.
Sophie was surprised her narcissistic step-monster didn’t have a whole camera crew here to documentthis portion of her life. Being one of the star of Secret Lives of NYC Ex-Wives—New York’s version ofThe Real Housewives—seemed to rule Miranda’s life. The woman always had a crew following her,documenting every aspect of her glittery, flashy lifestyle.
This whole scenario really grated on Sophie’s last nerve.
Miranda already had millions. She didn’t need all of this other stuff from Buck—not the money and notthe ranch. Granted, Sophie didn’t need it, either, but damn it, she and her brothers were bloodrelations. Weren’t they entitled to something?
Did nobody see the vindictive woman Miranda truly was? There had to be a way to prove she wasn’t allhigh and mighty like so many believed. Sure, the reality show portrayed her as a nurturing, lovingwoman... Sophie didn’t believe that front for a minute.
Channeling the growing pit of anger in her gut, she met Kellan and Vaughn’s furious stares as sheexited the study of her father’s estate.
The only people she cared about were her brothers. They were a team, they always had been. And sheknew they would work together to get this travesty of a will overturned. But right now, she was toofurious to think, or to concentrate on what their next steps should be. She just needed to get away fromher father’s house, where she’d never been happy and where she’d just had to sit through a newbetrayal. Most people would have been remorseful after a parent’s passing, and part of Sophie wassad. Buck was her father, but he’d always been a hard bastard to love. Turns out, that hadn’t endedwith his death.
As Sophie made her way out into the bright, sunny day, she slid her sunglasses off her head and ontoher face. She needed a break. She just wanted an escape even if for just a few days. Royal, Texas,was such a beautiful town and
Sophie absolutely loved it here. But like every small town, it was a hotbed of gossip, and this latestbombshell her father had dropped on them was bound to be the talk of the town for weeks. Everywhereshe went, people would be whispering, speculating. The thought made her skin crawl.
But gossip can work both ways, she realized after a moment’s reflection. If she played her cards right,maybe she could turn the situation to her advantage. All the talking everyone would be doing about thescandalous Blackwood inheritance would lead to lots of talk about Miranda, too. If Sophie coulduncover anything—a scandal, or a secret, or maybe whatever bit of leverage Miranda must have heldover Buck to get him to disinherit his own children—maybe she could use it to get the will overturned.
Sophie pulled out her cell as she settled behind the wheel of her sporty car. Time to get started.
One
Sophie barely recognized herself in the reflection of the mirrored elevator doors. Flying across thecountry, getting a complete makeover, and coming up with a whole new identity had been quite thefeat.
But persistence paid off...or at least she hoped it would.
She’d traveled to New York to spy on Miranda. She had tried chasing down every possible lead inRoyal...but none of them had panned out. After two months of failed attempts, she’d realized sheneeded to widen her net. If she was going to find anything, it would have to be in New York—and itwould have to be in a different persona. No one was willing to spill secrets to the stepdaughter whowas known to hate Miranda—but perhaps a new identity would let her slip in under the radar. Sophiehad no other idea how to find dirt on her stepmother, so she’d taken a very hands-on approach.
For a week now, Sophie had taken on this new look and role, but she still hadn’t gotten used to beingsomeone else. She’d never been this deceitful or this scheming before.