Shattered Rose He Held On Tight novel Chapter 8

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Claudia didn’t want to come home, but Wilson had told her they needed to talk about her grandmother’s house.

In Claudia’s long, suffocating childhood, there had once been a single ray of light.

Even when everyone said it was her fault Zoey had died, that she owed Lydia everything, her grandmother had been the only one who never demanded that little Claudia yield to Lydia in all things.

Grandma always said, “Accidents aren’t something people can control. She’s just a child. She shouldn’t have to carry the weight of a life at such a young age.”

Her grandmother’s small courtyard had been the only place Claudia could breathe for over a decade.

And because the Lancasters‘ guilt had slowly twisted into favoritism toward Lydia, Grandma’s heart ached for Claudia all the more.

Perhaps foreseeing that Claudia would one day rebel, she had wanted to leave her a way out when she eventually broke from the family. She had even declared in front of everyone that she would leave the house to Claudia.

But Grandma had passed suddenly, without a will. The deed now rested in Lottie’s hands.

They had planned to transfer it to Claudia as part of her dowry once she married.

“Miss Lancaster.” The maid who opened the door froze for a moment at the sight of her.

She truly was a daughter rarely seen in the house.

The maid had joined the family late, after Claudia had already moved out. She had once thought Lydia was the Lancasters‘ only daughter, assuming her surname came from her mother.

The first time she saw Claudia return home, she had mistaken her for a distant relative mooching around, and had been scolded harshly by the butler.

The Lancasters hardly ever spoke of Claudia. What kind of parents never mentioned their grown daughter, who had moved out so young? No wonder she had misunderstood.

The maid glanced again at the unwanted Claudia.

By looks alone, Claudia resembled the Lancasters more than Lydia ever did.

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Chapter 8 A Slap First, Then a Piece of Candy

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The family was blessed with beauty, and Claudia had inherited the best of both parents. Were it not for her reputation as malicious, her beauty would have been widely celebrated.

Lydia was lovely too, but standing beside Claudia, she paled like a firefly before the moon. Fortunately, the two were seldom seen together.

But seeing Claudia’s stormy expression now, the maid sighed inwardly. Tonight’s dinner would not end well.

When Claudia stepped in, Lottie rose at once. “Claudia, come. We made your favorite–BBQ ribeye.”

Claudia glanced at the table, her face cold. “You remember wrong. Lydia’s the one who likes BBQ ribeye.”

She herself had always loved spice. As a child, Wilson and her brothers would tease her with peppers, laughing as she squealed at the heat, only to pour her milk and juice in pity afterward -until Lottie yanked their ears in scolding.

But after Lydia came, her frail health required a careful diet, and the Lancaster table had become bland ever since.

Lottie’s face tightened with embarrassment, then smoothed into a smile. “No matter. There are plenty of dishes tonight. If you don’t like them, the kitchen can prepare more.”

Claudia didn’t press the point. She dropped into a chair and met Wilson’s eyes. “You said we were talking about Grandma’s house. Say it now.”

Wilson’s expression soured. “Must you bring that up the moment you walk in? Can’t you sit down and eat first? You look like a debt collector.”

Claudia’s lips pressed together.

“Hey, you’re in the wrong seat.” Zane, coming down from gaming, frowned. “That’s Lydia’s spot.”

At the table, Wilson and Lottie sat on one side, their three children on the other. Lydia’s place was between Clarence and Zane. It had once been Claudia’s, until it was taken from her at six years old.

“I didn’t know seats in this family came with name tags. And what if I insist on sitting here?”

“Never mind. It’s just a seat. Let Claudia have it.” Lydia smiled to smooth things over.

Zane glared at Claudia, about to argue, then remembered what the officer had said about her

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Chapter 8 A Slap First, Then a Piece of Candy

being hurt. After a pause, he huffed and sat in his own chair.

Seeing him back down, a shadow flickered in Lydia’s eyes.

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But with the family still guilty for misjudging Claudia, it wasn’t the time to pick a fight. She forced herself to swallow her displeasure.

Clarence, unwilling to quarrel with his biological sister, offered, “Lydia, I’ll switch with you.”

“No need,” Lottie cut in, calling for a maid. “Move Lydia’s chair next to me.”

When the outer seat had been left for Claudia, no one had thought it strange. But when Lydia was shifted, it was treated as if she had suffered some great injustice, the whole family bending to her.

Claudia’s eyes glinted with scorn.

As Zane shot her a smug look, she suddenly stood and plopped down in Clarence’s chair instead. “I like it better here.”

The seats were now lined, Claudia–Clarence–Zane.

Zane gaped. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Claudia shrugged. “Isn’t it obvious? I don’t want to sit too close to you and catch your stupidity.”

Zane nearly leapt from his chair. “Claudia!”

“Enough, both of you,” Lottie chided gently. Yet seeing them bicker again after so long, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of nostalgia, a smile tugging at her lips.

“Claudia, how are your injuries? Are they serious? I’ll have Dr. Larrabee come look at you after dinner, all right?”

Dr. Larrabee was the Lancasters‘ family physician.

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