No Strings Attached

This wasn't the first time Clara had heard such words. Just last time, at Rose's birthday bash, Marian had said something similar.

Clara paid it no mind, merely offering a small smile. "By that logic, I guess Heidi and I look alike too. Are we fated then? Seems more like a recipe for resentment."

Edwin offered a bitter chuckle upon seeing Clara's resistance. "Clara, please don't lump me together with Heidi. We have a blood feud. Her mother killed my mom and lost my sister. I'll never stand with her."

To gain Clara's trust, Edwin laid bare the tragic tale of his mother's demise and his sister's mysterious disappearance. In his eyes, Clara saw the raw agony of losing a mother and the yearning for a lost sibling. She was touched, and she felt an unexpected kinship. The walls around her heart began to crumble ever so slightly.

full of scrutiny. "What if I

it looked into immediately. If

bet someone's stirring the pot." Edwin nodded firmly. "I'll have someone on it right away. You've had a long day. Could you

Her father's health, lan's safety, and the well-being of the child within all needed

her struggle, Edwin asked with concern, "Does the food not agree with

gently. "Nothing will taste right to me

of vegetables and rice, sipped some chicken

to tell him in

the usually boisterous