October 2017, In Another Life

Lacy's contact, Mr. Gray, was growing increasingly impatient with his accomplice. Nearly four years had passed since they began their scheme to replace Keeley Hale, and they had made minimal progress. He couldn't understand it. Keeley’s inability to bear Aaron children—a near-essential quality for a high-society wife—and her lack of financial contribution to the marriage fueled rampant rumors of Aaron's dissatisfaction. So, why hadn't he divorced her?

Gray needed Lacy to replace Keeley, gaining control over Aaron through her. He intended to seize everything Alistair, Aaron, and the Hales had ever worked for. He considered Lacy a fool; she clearly believed he was on her side, when in reality, she was merely a tool for his complete destruction of the Hale family. It was the least they deserved after all they had made him suffer. The thought of their luxurious lifestyle, built on the suffering of others—especially Aaron, who possessed everything Gray craved yet appreciated nothing—sent his blood boiling.

“Your petty gossip isn't working,” Gray said, tapping his fingers impatiently on his desk. “If you can't devise a foolproof plan to replace Keeley Hale, I’ll find someone else. Plenty of women could do a better job.”

This, of course, was a lie. No one possessed Lacy Knighton's obsession with Aaron Hale. He couldn't find a replacement with her level of dedication.

“She’s impossible to break!” Lacy fumed. “Even if Aaron hasn't divorced her, I thought she'd have left him by now. But every time I see her, she has that infuriatingly tranquil expression, as if nothing bothers her.”

Gray, unfamiliar with high society, based his knowledge of Keeley entirely on hearsay. He'd never even met her.

“You already took away her ability to have children. What more can you take?” he asked.

An evil glint filled Lacy's eyes as an idea struck her. “Her father. He’s her only remaining family—I know because he was the only one from her side at the wedding.”

This might work. Gray’s own world had shattered with his mother's death. If Keeley's father were incapacitated, Aaron would be forced to discard her, as she'd be unable to attend social functions. The gossip surrounding her near year-long disappearance after the failed pregnancy scheme was already substantial. Excessive scandal would harm the Hales' business interests, a vulnerability Gray intended to exploit.

“How will you do this? It can't be suspicious,” Gray warned.

She smiled sweetly. “I'm best friends with an aspiring racecar driver. Give me Robert Hall's daily routine, and he can make a quick, untraceable hit-and-run. Those are notoriously difficult to solve.”

Simple, yet effective. It offered a clean way to eliminate Robert Hall without creating excessive turmoil. Car accidents were commonplace. Sometimes, Lacy had her uses.

“I’ll provide the information by week's end. Do it quickly,” Gray instructed.

He was curious to see Keeley's reaction. Poor girl. She'd become entangled with the wrong family, just like his mother.

April 2018, In Another Life

“You said it would work! She hasn’t attended a social event in months, and he still hasn't divorced her,” Lacy snapped, pacing the room, her designer heels clicking—a sound that grated on Gray’s nerves. He couldn't react; he needed to maintain her favor until he could dispose of her.

“Aaron must be close to his breaking point,” Gray said soothingly. The insincerity was grating. “Now’s your chance to seduce him.”

Lacy stopped pacing and glared. “As if I haven’t been trying! I’m far more beautiful than she is. He only recently started speaking to me again—barely politely, for the past few years.”

Gray felt a flicker of sympathy for his enemy. If he were Aaron, he'd barely be polite to this woman, either.

His voice hardened. “You must seduce him. A child—even not the heir—will force Aaron's parents to accept you.”

Lacy rolled her eyes. “You could at least pretend to have faith in me.”

He couldn't. She was utterly incompetent. Aaron would likely choose a dead pig over her.

However…their frequent public appearances and the swirling rumors meant the paternity of Lacy's child would be irrelevant. The Hales would be compelled to accept her to avoid a scandal, especially since Aaron's parents favored her from the outset.

Troublesome. Gray might have to handle this himself. She was undeniably beautiful. Ignoring her personality, this might not be so arduous.

This was a superior plan. Aaron was cold. Children needed affection. By placing his own child in the Hale household and subtly guiding its loyalty, dismantling the family from within would be effortless.