After solving her first mystery, sixteen-year-old Jessica Prince—the niece of billionaire Henry Prince—thinks her sleuthing days are over. But during a charity auction at an art gallery in her hometown, the lights go out and an expensive painting is stolen before the thief leaves a white lily behind and escapes.

Jessica doesn’t know why her hometown is so spooked until Mayor Forrester explains the unsolved case of a group of thieves called the White Lily Society. They left white lilies in place of whatever they stole and vanished years ago, never to be seen or heard from again. It isn’t until Prince Manor is broken into and a white lily is switched for her grandfather’s bust that she realizes the thieves have returned—with a target on Jessica’s back.

As the thefts worsen and Jessica’s friends become the thief’s focus, she must once again rely on her love of mystery novels and observational skills to stop them before they hurt someone. But Jessica isn’t prepared for what she discovers—that the Prince family might know more about the White Lily Society than her Uncle Henry wants to admit.

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Available: June 8, 2026
Teen

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Chapter One

When the bell rang at Blackwood Academy, I pushed through the chattering crowd of students to reach my locker. We had a whole week off for March Break, and it couldn’t come fast enough.

Uncle Henry promised me a trip but refused to say where he was taking me. He was good at keeping secrets, but cracking a mystery was my favorite pastime.

I ran into my best friends, Madison Carter and Tiffany Hampton, near the front doors.

“Hey, girls. What are your plans for March Break?” I asked as we entered the courtyard. “Anything exciting?”

Madison rolled her eyes. “My parents are taking me back to Louisiana. They don’t want me to forget where I come from, they said. Oh God, it’s going to be awkward seeing my old friends again.”

Madison was your typical goth girl—black hair, dark makeup, and knee-high boots. Her family won the lottery a year ago, moved to Willowbrook, and enrolled Madison at Blackwood Academy. We’ve been best friends ever since.

“And my family’s having a reunion this week. Can you believe that? During March break!” Tiffany cried, crossing her arms. “I don’t want to spend time with my cousins. They’re so, ugh, what’s the word I’m looking for...?”

I’ve known Tiffany much longer, almost my whole life. Her parents work for my uncle at Prince Enterprises. That was my family’s tech company that had made us billionaires. She dressed a lot like me—pink skirts, white heels, and the latest purse—except her hair was as red as fire and her eyes emerald green.

“Careful, Tiffany,” Holly Blackwood said, walking up behind us. She had the terrible twins, Lorraine and Kelsey Hartford, by her side like always. “Wouldn’t want your parents to find out you’re trash-talking your cousins, would you?”

Holly, Lorraine, and Kelsey were the meanest girls at Blackwood Academy—but Holly was by far the worst. Her parents owned our very expensive, very fancy Academy, so she got away with a lot of terrible things. And the twins, Lorraine and Kelsey—who were almost identical to Tiffany with their red hair and green eyes—were her partners in crime. I felt bad for Tiffany that she had to see them more often than Madison and I did.

“See you soon, cousin,” Kelsey said to Tiffany, smirking.

“This family reunion is going to be so fun,” Lorraine added sarcastically.

They pushed past us, knocking into our shoulders. We watched as the three girls hopped into Holly’s pink convertible. Holly cut off several cars as she backed up. The drivers honked at her, but she didn’t care or pay attention.

“Later, losers!” Holly called out as they sped away, making the twins laugh like hyenas in the back seat.

“God, I hate them,” Madison muttered.

“At least you’re not related to two of them,” Tiffany said, sighing. “They’re going to make this reunion a nightmare for me...”

That was when I spotted him. Eric Worthington. He was dreamy, like a teen heartthrob on a popular Netflix show. He was the quarterback of our football team, and the coach thought he was so good that he might play professionally one day. With his blond hair, ocean-blue eyes, and muscles, he was the boyfriend of my dreams.

He waved at me and smiled as he got into his truck and drove off. I had no idea if I waved back or not. My brain turned to mush whenever he was around.

“Jess? Hello?” Madison snapped her fingers in my face.

“Huh? Oh, sorry. I was distracted.”

By a boy I’ll never have. Rumors floated around that Holly and Eric were dating, although the two had never admitted it. And besides, his parents—the wealthy Worthingtons—were business rivals of my uncle. That doomed us from the start. Talk about a modern day Romeo and Juliet.

“We asked what you were doing for March break,” Madison said as we walked through the courtyard. “You never told us.”

“Not sure yet, but I hope Uncle Henry has something good planned. If not, I’ll be so bored this week without the two of you.”

“Same, girl. Same.”

After we hugged goodbye, I walked toward the black limousine that waited for me. Larry Kibbler, a kind, graying man in his early sixties with a thick mustache, opened my door. He smiled at me through the rearview mirror as he jumped in the driver’s seat.

“Hi, Larry. How’s your family doing?”

“Very good, Miss Prince. My eldest daughter gave birth to a baby girl last night. My wife and I are thrilled,” he replied with a smile. “How was school today?”

I sighed. “Filled with too much homework. And mean girls.”

“Both terrible things. I trust you’ll handle them both with dignity. Now, can I take you somewhere or are you heading home?”

“Home, please. Uncle Henry said he has a surprise for me.”

I looked down the sidewalk for my best friend, Ben, but didn’t see him anywhere. Had he really left without saying goodbye? And especially before March break?

As we drove through the busy streets, Larry turned on the radio. I liked to listen to the world news, especially about the latest crimes and mysteries. True crime was so hot right now.

“Fashion enthusiasts are going to love this next story,” the radio host said. “The Fashion Palace in Milan is all decked out for Carla Valentine’s debut fashion show tomorrow morning. It’s said to have been months in the making. This is big for her, as it could make or break her entire career.”

I sat up straighter. Carla Valentine was the latest up-and-coming fashion designer from Milan. She had sold her clothes online for years with moderate success, but this was her first fashion show. Everyone all over the world was talking about her. I would’ve given anything to see her fashion in person.

A few miles from the school, I spotted someone familiar walking down the road. His curly brown hair, Star Trek backpack, and thick laptop were hard to miss. He looked so sad walking by himself in the rain.

I smiled. “Larry, can you pull over? Right beside that boy, if you can.”

“Sure thing, Miss Prince.”

As the limo stopped beside the boy, I rolled down my tinted window. “Hey, stranger. Need a lift?”

Ben turned, startled before he realized it was me and laughed. “Jess, you almost gave me a heart attack! Thought you were a kidnapper or something.”

“No kidnapper today. Better luck next time. Come on, get in,” I replied, opening the door.

He jumped into the limo, and his wet hair splashed a little on my lap. He shut the door, and Larry pulled into the flow of traffic.

“Hey, why didn’t you say goodbye to me, you big jerk?”

“Sorry, Jess. Just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. There’s only so much of Blackwood I can take.”

“Understandable. Where are you heading?”

He shrugged. “Home, I guess. Dad’s working late tonight. He probably won’t be back until morning. Now I really hope there aren’t any kidnappers hanging around.”

I frowned. “Why don’t you stay at my house tonight? I’m sure Uncle Henry won’t mind. You can take the guest room. It has to be safer than being home alone at night, right?”

He smiled. “You’re a lifesaver, Jess. I owe you one.”

“What are best friends for?”

He grinned in response and I slid over to give him some more room.

Benjamin Clark was my closest friend. He was totally out of place at Blackwood Academy as his family wasn’t rich like everybody else’s. His father was our local sheriff, Norman Clark. I never found out how Ben could afford to go to our school. Madison and Tiffany wondered why I was friends with him, but he was my sense of normalcy—the only thing that kept me grounded.

I couldn’t imagine my life without him.

 

* * *

 

Larry inputted the code at the black gate to Prince Manor, then I waved goodbye to him and hopped out. Ben and I walked through the long field before we approached the chamber doors.

“You know, I’ve been here a million times and I still can’t believe how big your house is,” Ben said, glancing around with wide eyes. “Makes mine look uber small.”

I laughed. “Your house isn’t that small, Ben. It’s... cozy.”

“See, Jess? This is why we’re best friends. No one else would’ve lied to spare my feelings like that.”

I laughed and opened the doors, and as I stepped inside, I nodded politely to the housekeepers. Several of my suitcases—pink and frilly, of course—waited in the foyer. I was about to ask one of the housekeepers why they were there but then I noticed Uncle Henry walking down the spiral staircase.

Uncle Henry was never home before dinner. Being the CEO of Prince Enterprises took a lot of time and effort, and I was usually left to my own devices after school. He was dressed in a fancy blue suit, which wasn’t too unusual. But the giant grin across his face was.

“Jessica! Glad you got off school early.” He walked over to us. “Hello, Mister Clark. A pleasure to see you.”

Ben stood straighter and cleared his throat. “You too, sir.”

Uncle Henry looked back at me. “Remember that surprise I told you about?”

I nodded. “Of course. How could I forget?”

“Get ready to give the uncle-of-the-year award to me,” he said. “I got us front row seats to Carla Valentine’s debut fashion show in Milan!”

I squealed and hugged him. “You have no idea how much I love you right now! But how did you do it?”

“Carla’s... an old friend of mine. A really old friend.”

“Why did you never tell me this before? You know I’ve been following her career for a little while now. Me and fashion go together like peanut butter and jelly.”

“Well, I...just didn’t want to talk about it before.” He checked his watch. “Anyway, come on, we have to hurry. Our jet’s waiting and the show starts tomorrow morning.”

I looked back at Ben, who seemed a little disappointed. “Have fun, Jess. I know how much you love fashion. And don’t worry about me—I’ll be fine at home tonight.”

I shook my head. “Why don’t you come with us, Ben? He can come with us, right, Uncle Henry?”

Uncle Henry nodded. “Of course! All your friends can, if you’d like.”

“Oh, Tiff and Mads can’t come. They’ve already got plans. But Ben, you don’t have anything planned for March break, right?”

“You’re right, and I appreciate it, but... I can’t. I really don’t have the money to go.”

Uncle Henry placed a hand on Ben’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about that, kid. Consider it a gift for being such a good friend to my niece.”

“Oh, I don’t know, sir,” Ben replied. “I don’t want to take advantage of you or anything.”

“Stop it, Ben. You deserve this trip—and you know the Princes don’t take no for an answer.”

He looked at Uncle Henry and then back at me again before he nodded. “All right, you’ve convinced me. Now I just have to convince one other person. My dad.”

“Uh-oh.” I watched him pull out his old cell phone and search for his dad’s contact. “Good luck.”

He nodded just as his dad picked up. “Hey, Dad? Yeah, I know you’re busy with work but I need to ask you something. Jess and her uncle Henry want to take me to Milan for Carla Valentine’s fashion show. Yeah, I know you don’t like them.”

I glanced at Uncle Henry, an awkward silence spreading over us. I wished Sheriff Clark could play nice and get along with us. But pigs had a better chance of flying than that.

“Okay, okay. I’ll tell them.” Ben hung up, looking at us with a sigh. “Dad said I can go. But that I’ll be grounded when I get back.”

I shook my head. “Ben, I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, but I’m not. Getting grounded for a few weeks is nothing compared to seeing Milan. Freaking Italy! I’ve never been there before. Really, thank you for this, Mister Prince.”

Uncle Henry grinned. “My pleasure.”

“I haven’t been there either,” I said, placing my arm around him, “but I have a feeling this trip is going to be amazing.”

 

* * *

 

Uncle Henry called Larry, then he drove us to Ben’s house so he could pack his bags. But not before I could grab a few mystery novels off my bookshelf for the journey. After Ben had his things, we sped to the airport. Ben and I boarded Uncle Henry’s private jet called Lady Luck. He painted it pink just for me. I smiled at the pilot and stewardess as we took our seats.

“Wow, a private jet. I’ve never been on one before,” Ben said, looking around. “Man, I’ve only seen this stuff in movies.”

Uncle Henry and Larry boarded after us and shut the door. “You kids should sleep on the flight. When we get to Milan, we won’t have time.”

“Larry, glad you’re coming with us,” I said. “I didn’t know.”

Larry smiled. “Your uncle managed to convince me. I would’ve declined, but my wife told me it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Can’t say no to her—so here I am!”

After about ten minutes, we were ready for take-off. The flight attendant handed us a few snacks before we took off. It was a long flight—a little over twelve hours—so I read the mystery books I brought and chatted with Ben about school and Italy. Uncle Henry did some business work on his laptop to pass the time, Larry solved crossword puzzles, and Ben looked a little bored as he played with the Nintendo Switch he had brought. He paused his video game to glance over at me.

He snorted. “Julia Joy again? You’re addicted, Jess.”

I nodded. “Emily Pratt knows how to write the perfect mystery, and Julia Joy Steel is the best detective. They take place in the future, actually. Robots, time travel, spaceships. A sci-fi mystery series.”

“That’s cool. They seem like good books.” He was silent for a few minutes before he sighed. “Look, Jess... can I talk to you for a second?”

I placed the book down. “Of course. What’s up?”

Before he could tell me what was on his mind, the airplane jolted. My heart raced as I grabbed Ben’s hand, fearing we were going down. But then the airplane recovered, and we were, thankfully, still alive.

“Nothing to worry about, folks,” the pilot said through the intercom. “Just a little turbulence. Rain likes to make things difficult.”

Uncle Henry nodded, looking up from his laptop. “Happens all the time, kids.”

Ben exhaled, his face white with fear. “Good. I don’t want to die on my first plane ride.”

When my heart stopped pounding, I turned to Ben. “What were you going to say?”

“It’s nothing,” he muttered. “Forget about it.”

For the next twelve hours, I went back to reading, sleeping, and snacking. I woke up to someone shaking me, and when my eyes opened, I realized it was Uncle Henry. He smiled at me as Ben and Larry collected their things behind us.

“Good morning, sleepy head. We made it.”

Disappointment washed over me that I had missed the view of Milan from overhead, but there would be plenty of time to sight-see. I squealed in delight when I noticed the rain had cleared and dawn was over the horizon.

This fashion show was going to be incredible. I could feel it.

“And now, for my second surprise,” Uncle Henry began, opening a suitcase, “I’ve brought better outfits for us all. I mean no offense, but what you’re wearing now isn’t fashion show approved.”

Ben shook his head. “Mister Prince, I really can’t—”

“Oh, but I insist, Ben. Try it on and tell me what you think.”

Uncle Henry was already dressed up, so Ben, Larry, and I alternated in the small bathroom. The outfit Uncle Henry picked for me was a strapless pink gown with silver embroidery. I put on some lipstick and eyeshadow to match. Ben looked handsome in his black tux, but I’d never tell him that. It would go straight to his head.

Ben smiled at me. “You look nice, Jess. You should be the one modeling.”

I blushed. “Aw, thanks. You don’t look too bad yourself.”

We grabbed our suitcases and then hopped into a limo my uncle had rented. Uncle Henry gave Larry the address and he assured us he could drive in a foreign country. Soon, we wove in and out of the traffic in Milan. I still couldn’t believe we were here.

When the limo pulled up to a large coliseum, I unbuckled my seatbelt. This was it. It was time to see Carla Valentine’s creations in the flesh. I only wished Madison and Tiffany could be here, but I settled for talking Ben’s ear off instead.

After the limo had sped off, Ben gasped. “Wait—we didn’t get our suitcases!”

Uncle Henry laughed. “Don’t worry about it, Ben. Larry will take our stuff back to the hotel. But now, for my last surprise. Jess, I’ve arranged for us to meet Carla Valentine right before the show.”

“What? How?” I asked. “Isn’t she busy making last-minute adjustments and directing the models?”

“She is, but after prodding for a while, I got her to agree to meet you. We’ll have to be quick though—she only said we could pop in and say hello. It’s starting soon, so we’d better move it.”

Joy flooded my veins. We were in Italy, meeting a fashion designer. It felt like a dream.

“Jess? Are you okay?” Ben asked, looking at me with concern.

All I could do was nod. Uncle Henry laughed. “She’s just excited. Come on, you two.”

We pushed through the crowd and entered the tall coliseum, known as the Fashion Palace—or Palazzo della Moda in Italian. It was here that many fashion designers had gotten their start, and Carla was lucky to have booked it for her first big event. Those trade shows and online sales she had done years before this paled in comparison, but they had helped to establish herself and her brand a bit.

People swarmed like bees inside the Palace as we walked in. We passed through the foyer and into the stadium where hundreds of seats were set up. Everyone—from regular citizens to fashion designers—was here for Carla. I spotted some very famous celebrities, all wearing their finest clothes. I looked down at my dress and hoped I fit in.

At the very front sat a large runway with flashing strobe lights. Men and women in headsets walked around, preparing for the show. It was loud in the Palace, but I heard someone close by say the show was starting soon.

“This way, kids,” Uncle Henry gestured near the back of the stadium. “Hope it isn’t too late to meet Carla.”

He walked up to a burly bodyguard who stood in front of a door. Uncle Henry pulled out his I.D. and showed it to him. “We’re here to meet Carla Valentine. She knows us and authorized it.”

The bodyguard nodded. “Buongiorno, Signore Prince.” His Italian accent made me grin. “Signora Valentine is excited to see you again. Her dressing room’s through this door. Head on in and take the first left—”

The door burst open, and a woman walked out. But it wasn’t Carla. This woman was younger, most likely in her twenties, and was pale-faced and wore glasses. She carried a headset with a clipboard and looked frantic.

“This can’t be happening. Not now.” She was on the verge of tears and talking to herself more than anyone else. “What am I going to do?”

“Excuse me, miss?” Uncle Henry stepped toward her. “What’s going on?”

“I can handle this,” the bodyguard interrupted. “Signora Arias, what’s wrong? You look troubled.”

But the young woman paused, unsure of whether to say what was going on in front of us. “Oh, it’s nothing to worry about, sir. Please take your seats before the show starts.”

“Look, if something’s wrong, I want to know,” Uncle Henry urged. “Carla’s a good friend of mine. Or, she was at one point. Maybe I can help.”

The woman sighed. “No, I don’t think you can help. Unless you’re a cop.”

“Signora Arias?” the bodyguard asked again.

“Someone needs to call the police. And quickly.” She took a deep breath. “Because Carla Valentine is missing.”

 

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