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ONE
As the wheels of the airplane touched the pavement at LAX, an abnormal sense of dread came over Adelia Allen. No matter where she traveled, whether for work or play, coming home usually gave her a sense of calm. But after the call she’d received from her manager, Iris, letting her know there was a tabloid story circulating about her parents, she was on edge.
At first, she’d blown it off. It wasn’t like the tabloids hadn’t concocted stories about her parents before. But there was something in Iris’s tone that made Adelia nervous, wondering if this time was different.
She pulled a baseball cap from her bag and put it on, tucking her long blonde tresses underneath. Maybe she should’ve canceled her first-class commercial ticket, chartered a private jet, and flown into the celebrity terminal to avoid the public, but that seemed like overkill. How much attention could another phony story actually bring? If only she’d been able to reach her parents, but neither was answering their phone.
Hugh Allen and Cora Roberts were Hollywood’s most famous and beloved couple, and their thirty-year marriage was something many aspired to. Thankfully, their fans were loyal and steadfast and not easily swayed by the tabloids’ fabrications.
Adelia exited the plane and headed through the airport with her head down and sunglasses on, anxious to get to the car that was waiting for her. The moment the doors slid open, a group of paparazzi rushed at her from the curb, blinding her with camera flashes, and bombarding her with questions.
“Adelia, is it true your parents are divorcing?”
“How do you feel about their split?”
“Is the divorce because of your mother’s affair with her costar, Bryce Griffiths?”
Her stomach dropped as what they were saying hit her, and she rushed around the car to the door her driver, Andre, held open and practically dove inside, bags and all. She took a deep breath in and let it out, relieved when the vehicle pulled away from the curb.
“Where to, Miss Allen?”
“Can you just drive around for a while, Andre?”
“Sure can.”
She pulled out her phone, about to call her parents’ household manager, Marta, and paused. They had a family rule—don’t read tabloid magazines or websites. Her parents had taught her from a young age that this was all part of the very public life they lead and to avoid what was printed about them at all costs. But this was one rule she was about to break.
Adelia opened one of the popular celebrity websites, and there, at the top of the page, were pictures of her mother with Bryce Griffiths on a beach somewhere, and they were all over each other. Adelia’s stomach churned. Mom’s latest film was set in winter, so she knew that probably wasn’t a scene they were filming for the movie. Could it really be true?
She dialed Marta, tapping her foot against the floor as she waited.
“Hello, Miss Allen.”
“Put one of my parents on,” she demanded.
“They aren’t here at the moment.”
“Where are they?”
The other end of the line was silent.
“Marta?”
“I’m sorry, miss. Your father said he’d be in touch with you tomorrow.”
Adelia groaned and hung up on her, and the phone rang seconds later with a call from her mother’s business manager.
“Violet, what is happening?”
“How are you holding up, sweetie?”
“I’m confused, and I can’t get ahold of either of my parents.”
“They’ve gone away to be out of the eye of the paparazzi for now.”
“Gone away where?”
“Your dad went to the country home in England, and your mom—”