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