Chapter 10 - THE DAWN OF THE CROWN
The birth of my son, Julian Crawford-Sterling—with the Sterling name permanently erased from his legal records—was celebrated across the nation.
The front pages of every major financial and lifestyle magazine featured my portrait alongside Eleanor Crawford,
holding our newborn baby in the grand ballroom of the Grand Belmont.
We were radiant, powerful, and untouchable.
Richard Sterling was nowhere to be found in society columns,
reduced to a ghost whispering in the shadows of Chicago's forgotten alleys.
One crisp November morning,
six weeks after giving birth,
I stood by the grand lobby balcony of the Grand Belmont, wearing a tailored midnight-blue silk dress.
On my right wrist,
the old silver bracelet gleamed brightly under the crystal chandelier.
It was no longer a symbol of abandonment,
it was the crown jewel of an empire.
I adjusted my diamond earrings,
looking down at the bustling lobby below,
knowing life had tried to break me in the dirt,
May you like
only to crown me as a queen.
The reign of Claire Crawford had officially begun.
