Chapter 2The Ghost I Crowned

I brought Stella back to the Hayes estate.

On the drive out to Greenwich, Arthur kept glancing at me in the rearview mirror, his mouth a tight line.

“Mrs. Hayes, are you sure about this? Perhaps we should call Mr. Hayes first. He returns from his business trip in two days. He might… he might be angry.”

“He won’t be.”

More accurately, he wouldn’t dare.

The car passed through the towering wrought-iron gates, navigated the long, winding drive through manicured gardens, and stopped before the imposing front entrance.

Stella was trembling like a cornered animal, clutching her stomach and sobbing into her hands.

“Please, Mrs. Hayes, I’m begging you, just let me go. My mother has late-stage kidney disease. I’m trying to save money for her treatment.”

“I never would have gone near your husband if it wasn’t for the money. I was wrong, I know I was wrong.”

Her pleas were a jumbled, desperate mess. I just kept wiping her tears away.

“Shh. It’s alright. I told you, I’m not going to hurt you.”

Compared to the thirteen mistresses before her—all of them sharp, ambitious, and dripping with contempt—Stella was by far my favorite.

That’s why I brought her here. I led her through the grand foyer, down a long marble hallway, and into the private wing of the estate. We took the internal elevator to the deepest, most secluded part of the compound.

There, beside a serene reflecting pool, sat a woman with her eyes closed, meditating. A traditional Japanese-style pavilion rose behind her.

I walked with Stella to her side.

“Mother.”

The woman’s eyes opened slowly. Eleanor Hayes.

“Mm.”

Her gaze, heavy and deliberate, shifted to me, a sharp glint in their depths.

“Is this her?”

“Yes.”

“Have you had it checked?”

“I have. It’s a boy.”

“Good. See that she’s well taken care of.”

“I will.”

With that, I took Stella’s hand, bowed my head slightly, and led her away.

By now, Stella had stopped crying. She just stared at me, her fear mixed with a profound confusion.

“Mrs. Hayes… why did you bring me here?”