AMERICA’S PRINCESSFOUND DEAD
Heiress Gemma Crowne Dead Hours After Mysterious Shoot-Out
By Maren Hollis, Senior Staff Writer
Crowne Point’s elite were left stunned this Valentine’s Day by the sudden death of Gemma Crowne, the eldest daughter of the influential Crowne family, also known as America’s Princess.
At approximately 9:47 p.m., fireworks the Crowne family had purchased for their party went off unexpectedly. Witnesses describe the experience as “harrowing” with another saying “I thought I was going to die.” By the time the dust had settled, Gemma Crowne was found dead.
Sources close to the household describe “shock” and “confusion” after the heiress allegedly disappeared for several hours before being found. Officials have not released a cause of death, butoverdose is suspected.
Grayson Crowne, CEO of Crowne Industries and Gemma’s brother, had this to say.
“There is no scandal or conspiracy here, just simply a truth that my family has long tried to hide. My sister was always troubled. She was addicted to drugs and dangerous men. I think it’s clear by the company she kept toward the end of her life that she was spiraling somewhere we couldn’t bring her back from. She ended her life, but for us, it had been over for years. The only person responsible for Gemma’s death is Gemma. We ask for privacy and respect during this time.”
The beloved socialite had largely withdrawn from public view in recent weeks. Rumors of a secret relationship had surfaced, though sources close to the family insist such claims are “unfounded” and “deeply inappropriate at a time like this.”
A private memorial will be held later this month at the historic Crowne Estate Chapel. Attendance is by invitation only.
TheCrowne Point Times will continue to follow the story.
FIFTY-FOUR
GRIM
The Crowne family graveyard was designed to reflect status even in death. Moss carpeted stone mausoleums and leaves dripped from overgrown trees, blanketing the cemetery in shadow. The ground was a mix of sand and flora—creeping thyme, mossy clover. The weathered stone and trees made it appear from another time. It was easy to fade into the background.
Yards away, a black casket suspended over an open grave. More than family were in attendance for Gemma Crowne’s funeral. All the world’s rich and privileged had come to mourn, dressed for tabloids that would print their solemn faces.
A body slipped next to me. I knew who it was before he spoke.
“Tragic,” Vander said.
I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, his hands tucked into a wool peacoat, looking at the funeral.
“Tragic,” he repeated, “and convenient.”
“Not so convenient for her, or her family,” I said, focusing back on the funeral. Grayson threw dirt on the casket. Solemn silence shifted as attendees started to whisper about things like valet and brunch.
“Seems so to me. Right after you tried to kill me—I know that was the plan, and it failed, and right after it failed, she’s dead.”
I rubbed my jaw, working out the muscle.
“You’re also remarkably well composed,” he continued. “The girl you threw your life away for is dead, and yet…you seem fine.”
“Gemma Crowne is dead,” I said, not giving in to the bait. “That was the deal. You can’t weasel your way out of it with conspiracy.”
He laughed. “If you think you’ll get to walk away so easily, you’re forgetting you have other family?—”
I spun, cutting him off. “Yeah, I know. You’ve kept me hostage for a decade with that threat. So let me give you one. If you ever go through with it, know your life is over.”
His lips twisted in amusement. “You tried killing me once. You failed.”
I shook my head, taking another step closer, until he could feel the truth of what I said.
“I don’t want you dead,” I said. “I want you alive and watching as I dismantle everything you’ve ever built, brick by brick. If I have to live in the world you forced on me, know I will rip your existence out of it. I will follow you from town to town, from this life into the next. As long as I live, you’ll never know peace. I might not be able to kill you, but I won’t stop until you’re forgotten. Powerless.”
Vander’s eyes narrowed, as if trying to read the lie in mine. He wouldn’t find it. I had afeeling he wouldn’t let me go so easily, so I’d thought about it all week. I’d played out certain scenarios and consequences in my mind.
