Maddison's hatred had never been subtle; it had been vicious and cruel. Enough to drive her to torment both mother and daughter before ending it.
Ashley didn't dare let her thoughts linger too long on what her mother might have endured, on the pain she must have suffered before being dragged back to the Lakeside Villa.
Maddison hadn't just wanted her dead; she had wanted Ashley to watch, to feel every ounce of it as she killed the mother that raised her right in front of Ashley's eyes. Just to break Ashley's mentality.
Such cruelty...
Without Ashley even noticing, Aunt Lavinia had moved to her bedside. Gently, she placed the pendant into Ashley's hand and closed her fingers around it, pressing it there with quiet insistence as a soft, reassuring smile touched her lips.
