The Star Child (The Star Child Series) Read Online Free PDF Page A

I’ve also willed you my house and my books. I know you’ll take care of them. You may choose to do whatever you wish with the remainder of my belongings. Alistair will act as your attorney and help you negotiate the legalities.
    I’ve tried to reach out to your brother, but he has made it more than clear that he finds no fault with your father and isn’t in need of my help. I’ll leave it to you how to deal with him.
    Regardless, you’re free of Stephen and you can get a proper start out on your own now. No matter what happens or what you find out, you should know that you’re the greatest joy in my life and proof that I didn’t fail in life.
    My love to you,
    Gran
    I was reeling. It wasn't as if I hadn’t thought of going it alone before; running away from Stephen, school, everything, was something that I considered on an almost daily basis. However, there’d always been a certain amount of fear associated with starting out on my own. Still just a kid, in my mind. Though emotionally I’d been on my own for a long time, I’d never been responsible for my own financial independence.
    The level of risk seemed further intensified by the knowledge that Stephen controlled the purse strings, and I had no plan and no idea where to go. Over time, I found that I could easily convince myself that I didn't need to leave “right now”.
    It would be Gran who instinctively provided the funding, the plan, and the motivation that I needed to start out on my own. Her letter included information regarding a bank account that she’d set up for me and a debit card with my name on it. After that, it was a very small matter to arrange to use my ticket immediately after graduation.
    It also didn’t hurt that Gran had invested the money from Stephen over the years, which I came to find out resulted in a little over a million dollars. I had plans to invest a large portion of this money once I got to London. With any luck, I could ride out many years on those funds until my writing got published. Smiling, I envisioned writing for a living in a cottage by the sea. Those thoughts swirled around in my head now.
    So that was where I stood. I had my degree, I had money, but what I craved now was closure. I certainly didn’t have any belongings at Stephen’s house; everything that was important to me was in the car. However, I needed to close the door on Stephen for good.
    ***
    It was getting quite hot out. Spring was fading into summer and the temperature was already in the mid-eighties as I drove toward Syracuse. Shrugging out of my jacket, I switched to the next song in my music playlist: “Take On Me” by A-ha. Turning up the volume, I tried not to think about where I was going or what I was about to do.
    In the years that I’d been at Yale, I’d managed to avoid going home. Every holiday, every birthday, every break was spent with Gabe’s family. The Stewarts always made me feel at home; I even had my own room there. The last time that I was at Stephen’s home was the summer before I started college. That was also the last time that I’d had an audience with him.
    When I arrived at the estate four hours later, I half expected the circular drive in front of the house to be empty, but it wasn’t. Up to that point, some part of me still hoped that there was a reason he’d blown off my college graduation. Guess not.
    I parked and hopped out of the car, not bothering to lock up behind me. As I walked toward the front door, I glanced up at the Tudor-style manor house in disgust.
    Though the home’s stately façade and aged wood exterior would have impressed some, maybe even coerced them to visit each of the home’s four floors and thirty rooms, it had the opposite effect on me.
    Yet I reached for the ornate brass handle that dominated the front door and tugged it open, not bothering to close the door behind me. Stephen’s study was on my right and he was sitting there, reading, with a look on his face that indicated the presence