few more minutes. It brought her so much pleasure that she
didn’t even try to lie to herself that she wasn’t feeling an
immense amount of satisfaction at what she was doing. After
eleven years, her time had finally come.
“You’re thirty-eight, Robert. Three years older than I am.
So, so young to have your whole life ruined by a few mistakes.
I’m willing to give you another chance. I know no one is going
to lend you money. I’ve already asked around.”
Robert had lowered himself back into the chair after his first
outburst, but now he looked like he wanted to explode out of it
a second time. Jenny vibrated with distrust from the corner. It
would be a lovely, fine day for her if she was allowed to break
the bastard’s arm, but Claire had other plans for Robert. She
didn’t just want his arm. She wanted all of him.
“You made it so they wouldn’t lend to me,” he snapped,
spittle forming at the corners of his mouth. Years of drinking
and hard living had turned his complexion a florid shade.
Right now, he was scarlet with anger, but the flush never quite
left his cheeks. In another lifetime, Claire had once thought
Robert was handsome, in the impassive sort of way that she
looked at men she wasn’t interested in, because she’d never
been interested in men that way.
“I did nothing of the sort. I don’t care that much for your
enterprise that I would go out of my way to ruin your life.
You’re so capable of doing it all on your own, and letting you
know that this is entirely on you, that no one else is to blame
for it, is the sweetest part of all.” Claire savoured her victory.
She loved the way Robert’s eyes nearly bugged out of his
head. She was just getting to the good part and already he
looked like he was going to drop dead of a heart attack on the