Chapter 159

Mrs. Claire, a lady used to having her plans unfold with precision, found herself in a state of shock and irritation when she got the news of Brian Stone's release. The carefully created web of influence and manipulation, woven with the threads of her wishes, had crumbled in the face of unexpected tenacity.

Seated in the sumptuous living room of her large house, Mrs. Claire clinched her hands in quiet wrath. The broad windows that surrounded her view of the groomed garden failed to offer the typical feeling of peace. Instead, the sunshine appeared to put a harsh light on her unrealized goals.

The news had reached her via well-placed sources, and when the reality of Brian's freedom sank, Mrs. Claire strained to conceal her rage. The preparations she had methodically put in action to separate Julie from Brian, and thereby ensure her granddaughter's future with a man of political prominence, had fallen like a house of cards.

Her trusty confidante, Amelia, hesitantly approached the room.