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marvelled that she’d never seen it before. She’d spent so much

of her life hating her father, then she’d put her faith and trust

in the same kind of man without even realizing it.

“Will you call someone about the piano?” Haley called

when Claire was at the door.

She didn’t turn around. “Not yet. Your apology will help

smooth Snake’s ruffled feathers, but it doesn’t earn you that.”

Claire was satisfied with the click of her heels in the

hallway. They sounded so final, echoing the way they did. It

made the towering heels, which really did make her feet ache,

worth it.

The last word in the argument didn’t matter. That was

something only fools believed. Richard always needed to have

the last word. She wasn’t the same as her father. She’d die

before she ever became like him.

She walked past the shut-up room with the piano in it before

she realized what she was doing. It was out of her way. Not

along the path to her office at all. She paused just outside the

door, wondering how Haley played. Probably like an angel.

Sweet, pure, melodic. Just like she was.

Shaking her head, Claire forced herself out of the nonsense

&nb

sp; thoughts and back down the hall to her office. At least that

space was familiar. At least it was her own.

Chapter 8

Haley

When Haley got home from school on Wednesday, she

went straight to Claire’s office and pounded on the door.

No matter what Her Highness The Ice Queen said about not

minding being disturbed, Haley still braced for yet another