ly and with clear intention, she

hest tighten. She even shifted backward h

ugh her hand rested protectively on Jessie's arm. "Claire might be... troubl

e. "It's only a necklace. If you liked it, you could'

pted before Lorraine could finish,

ached for the old canvas tote Claire had left b

Claire's hand shot forward

movable as iron. Jessie stiffened

es, her eyes remained eerily composed. "Y

g along her spine, yet she still shouted toward Lorraine. "Mom, look at her! She obviously too

house? If there was something you wanted, you only needed to ask. Why lower yourself to something like this? That neckla

e let go of Jessie's wrist and spoke with me

d mark on her wrist, anger flashing through her eyes. Then her

ed forward. Her hand shot into the side pocket of t

d, triumph spreading across her f

he lights, it sparkled intensely, the cen

we ever treated you poorly in this household? Yet you still did something like this? Do y

lry box as if it were a prize. "What excuse do you have now? Mom, c

working in the dining area couldn't stop th

of person? She always looks so quiet,

onvict. There's no way Mr. Willis married

ost expensive thing she could find. A necklace worth over t

ice sliced through the chatter, an

fensive in its brilliance-to the two women standing in front

suddenly felt abs

had been spent on thes

had done more than h

Trouble followed her everywhere, and the family w

and if Claire hadn't gone alone to handle the

rned against the very pe

ything she had, only to b

e straightene

Yet the way she stood in the center of the room carried a different presence now, a quiet pressure tha

mly. "And yet you went through all this

nk this is some kind of act?" Jessie

mply stepped closer and exte

ching the jewelry box tightly against her chest. "What do

appeared on

swiftly and the velvet box was sna

d to start protesting befor

n a smooth arc before plunging directly into

sie screamed as sh

faltered, the color d

just discarded something completely worthless. Then she faced

bvious. Should we review the surveillance footage

ned. For a brief moment, no

From this point forward, I have nothing to do with your family. I'm no longer your daughter-in-law, and you don't get to slander or insult

ther woman another glance. Without hesi

losing echoed from the upper floor did

e-she threw my necklace into the fountain! She's completely cra

p voice cut Jessie off, her

aircase, and suddenly a memory fr

e standing quietly at Cade's desk. Papers detailing an overseas acqui

nation. She even found the situation amusing, thinking that an

tten detail returned

aying attention to t

cated column of financial numbers, and she

er spine. A creeping sense of un

uly understood the woman sh