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Clair closed her eyes as dread stole through her “Victor”

“He gave the orders Lazlo has uncovered more evidence and willand was trying to discreditmy past, but the attention will turn back on him once the truth about his father’s actions come out I don’t think you’ll be bothered too much after that,” he concluded without emotion

When he sent her back to London, she gathered with a little shiver She was just getting used to sharing her life, and it was al the into this place, not ready to be uprooted

“What exactly did Victor do?” she asked, afraid to hear the extent of it but needing to know before he sent her away “Did he steal your father’s shares? Take the mill?”

“A ht in the ht”

Clair gasped and covered her mouth The house like this one that she adored? “While you and your parents slept?” Horror gripped her “And your father—?”

“Ran outside behind my mother and o after hih I didn’t see the knife until he did this” His hand lifted to his face, his expression twisted with old fury and fresh pain

“Oh, Aleksy,” Clair breathed, terrified for hi in her wanted to rush forward in coh the least thing would break hiether quickly now, foric, unbearable picture

He shuddered

“A boy’s temper in a man’s body I would have been killed iflass with a sharp clunk Then he looked at his hand His voice see it, but it’s in the statements to police that I killed the other man”

“I can’t believe they arrested you!”

“Why wouldn’t they? A crime had been committed” He turned to the freezer to retrieve the bottle “It was ruled self-defense and, supposedly, sealed because of e”

Ever-deepening levels of dreadfulness rippled over her A deliberately set fire A narrow escape Petrifying violence Catastrophic loss His life nearly taken She never would have known hiht pushed tears into her eyes

And all at the hands of a ust rose to the back of her throat