ed quiet fo

cky, didn't I? At least I found you all in the end. Th

settling the debt

air

he wanted to say, but someone

say. But I really don't want to make things more complic

n if there was a lead, they'd probably deny it and twist

d out her birth parents were from the Fields family, they'd use those

cut all ties with the Thompsons, and avoid dragging her br

g grew loud

"Alright, Adrian. Gott

hung

urned almost impatient, she brushed her

n outside still had his hand halfway raised

im, voice soft: "Some

ut the distance in her

as flat as ever: "Tomorrow's Serena's birthday. There's a dinner

e bli

re

swe

"Sure. Any

tty face mostly hidden beneath h

ng an odd tightness in his chest. Turn

ai

stopp

econd, then returned holding the divo

e when you have time. As for my ID, mai

istered the marriage. No surprise-end

er, gaze slowly shifting to her unnerving

and a little rough: "Didn't you s

rm was getting sore, so she just shoved the papers into Nelson's arms. "B

lson blinked and slo

s gaze low

ha

o quiet Claire

thi

ts away and looked back u

a step bac

or slammed shut r

at faint, quiet smile of hers kept flashing in his mind. He lo

ire got a call fr

the bush, clearly fishing for inf

"Auntie, Nelson gave me the divorce pa

p calling them Mom and Dad. If it weren't for the marriage link

then didn't mean s

flipped. Her words carried nothing but arrogance, as if she were tossing scraps t

, hiding the cold look

nd of the call-Elena gav

. You were never good enough for Nelson. If it weren't for the Thompsons taking you in, you'd probably still be rotting in some orphanage-or dead in a ditch. And don't forget, if not for you,

raised you" card, like that made it all okay. But Claire had been a baby-switched by mistake during the earthq

get

tly, already zippi

t belonged to her. Came in wit

a sharp snor

lared outsid

led her, that familiar cold voice