Tonight…
She was telling exactly the same kind of lie.
Evelyn laughed softly.
“Oh, please.”
She stepped closer.
“If she wants to embarrass herself before the wedding, that’s hardly our concern.”
Richard slowly turned.
The room suddenly felt colder.
“You are Evelyn Prescott?”
“I am.”
“The woman organizing this charity gala?”
“Yes.”
“The woman who just called my daughter a fraud?”
Evelyn smiled.
“If the shoe fits.”
Richard nodded once.
Then returned his attention to Claire.
His voice dropped to barely above a whisper.
“You don’t have to hide anymore.”
Claire’s entire body tensed.
Her breathing became uneven.
“No…”
She grabbed his sleeve.
“Dad…”
“Please.”
“Not here.”
“Not now.”
Tears finally fell down her cheeks.
The bruise wasn’t why she cried.
It never had been.
She was terrified of what would happen if Richard revealed the truth.
Because once the truth came out…
Nothing would ever be the same again.
Daniel stepped forward.
“What truth?”
Neither Richard nor Claire answered.
The silence became unbearable.
Guests leaned closer.
Even reporters outside the ballroom doors sensed something remarkable was unfolding.
Richard looked around the grand hall.
He recognized several politicians.
Corporate executives.
Judges.
Television personalities.
Half the city’s wealthiest families.
All of them believed they knew exactly who Claire Hale was.
All of them were wrong.
Richard inhaled slowly.
“For twenty-one years…”
His voice carried effortlessly across the ballroom.
