Not A Small-Town Girl

Chapter 2-1

"Hey, mister, you know my daughter?" Lucy sidled up with a fake sweet smile plastered on her face.

Joseph didn’t even glance at her as he replied with an icy stare, "I’m her real brother."

His tone was cold enough to freeze hell. He had no patience for Lucy, not when he was finally reunited with the sister he’d been looking for his whole life.

"Julian," Joseph muttered in a low, dangerous voice.

Julian stepped forward and pulled out a check for 300 thouand dollars. "This is for the trouble your family’s caused. This covers Danielle’s expenses while she was with you.

From now on, she’s done with you."

Lucy’s eyes locked onto the check like a heat-seeking missile. "But Danielle’s supposed to be engaged to the town supervisor’s son," she said, the greed practically dripping from her words. She was already calculating how she could make this work in her favor.

never agreed to any engagement," Danielle cut in, her voice sharp as broken

to

town supervisor’s son is worthy of a Darling

speak. The check still lay there, though, and she consoled herself with the thought

Danielle, his tone softening just

Everyone’s waiting."

the Darling residence in Soufield, an elegant couple paced by the gates like

It’s been longer." Vivian

Darling soothed his wife, though his own heart thundered at the thought of seeing

finally appeared, the couple practically

car window. Vivian, despite her fifties, retained the graceful beauty

cracked as tears spilled down

the car, her mother enveloped her in a desperate embrace. "Finally. I’ve