dry.
Suddenly it felt like all the air got sucked out of the room as Emma glared at the woman in front of her. “Hello, Claire,”
Nicholas glanced from Claire to Emma. “You two know each other?”
Emma didn’t take her eyes off Claire, and noticed the smug little grin that crossed Claire’s face. “Oh, Emma and I go way back.”
“Emma, do you know her?” Nicholas asked softly.
“Yeah.” She nodded. “Claire is my stepsister.”
Chapter 8
SO imagine Nicholas’ surprise when he learned that Claire, the woman he had spent the last two hours dodging, was actually the stepsister of the woman he had asked to pose as his date.
Nicholas pointed at Claire, but kept his eyes on Emma. “This is your stepsister?”
There was no way anyone could have missed the poison arrows Emma’s stare was shooting straight at Claire’s forehead. And of course Nicholas was aware of all the oxygen that had been sucked out of the room within a nanosecond.
Emma didn’t take her eyes off Claire. “Yes, she’s my stepsister.”
Nicholas shook his head. “Hold up. If you and Claire are stepsisters, then that means that—”
“Henry Tremaine was my father.” Emma bit her lip.
“Holy shit.”
Nicholas’ head felt way too small to make sense of it all. How in God’s name was Henry Tremaine’s daughter working as a maid in his house?
“Emma darling.” Claire sported one of her fake smiles. “It’s been forever.” She stepped forward and placed her arms on Emma’s shoulders, pulling her in for a little hug. Was it Nicholas’ imagination, or did Emma suddenly seem like she had the urge to vomit?
Emma pulled back and then searched the crowd around them before turning her attention back to Claire. “If you touch me again, I will rip out those fake hair extensions of yours so fast your head will spin.” Boy, Emma seemed really, really pissed at Claire. Why?
Claire’s little Botox smile remained plastered on her face. “Emma, there is no need for that. We’re practically family.”
“You are not my family. You and your mother are nothing to me.”
“It’s such a shame you feel that way. I so enjoyed all the times we played in the garden as little girls. I almost felt like we were real sisters.”
“Stop!” Emma blurted out, and a few people looked in their direction. “Just, stop.”
Claire cocked a brow. “What’s the matter, Emma? No good childhood memories for you?”
Nicholas was shocked to say the least. All he did was gawk at the two women like a total loser, until Adam finally nudged him in his side.
“Dude, you better do something before we have a bitch fight on our hands. Not that I would mind, but I don’t think Pops is going to be impressed.”
Nicholas grabbed Emma’s arm. “Emma, come on. Let’s go get something to drink.”
Emma continued to look at Claire, but as Nicholas persuaded her to follow him, Claire called after them, “I love the dress, Emma. I’m surprised you could afford it.”
And then Nicholas kind of lost it.
He let go of Emma’s hand and abruptly turned around, walking toward Claire. He brought his face inches from hers. “I see right through you, Claire. So you can stop your bullshit.”
Nicholas was about to turn away from her when he stopped and leaned back in. “And by the way, you and I, it’s never happening.”
He didn’t stick around to see the expression on Claire’s face, but he imagined that it was something between brooding and angry. Nicholas was so sick of her and his father’s bullshit that he just could not deal anymore. He took Emma’s hand, gripped it tight and led her through the crowd to the bar.
A lot of people were staring at them, and he gathered that what just went down had already spread throughout the dining hall in hushed whispers.
When they reached the bar he turned to Emma who still seemed shocked and incredibly angry. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
“It’s okay. You couldn’t have known.”
He took a deep
Suddenly it felt like all the air got sucked out of the room as Emma glared at the woman in front of her. “Hello, Claire,”
Nicholas glanced from Claire to Emma. “You two know each other?”
Emma didn’t take her eyes off Claire, and noticed the smug little grin that crossed Claire’s face. “Oh, Emma and I go way back.”
“Emma, do you know her?” Nicholas asked softly.
“Yeah.” She nodded. “Claire is my stepsister.”
Chapter 8
SO imagine Nicholas’ surprise when he learned that Claire, the woman he had spent the last two hours dodging, was actually the stepsister of the woman he had asked to pose as his date.
Nicholas pointed at Claire, but kept his eyes on Emma. “This is your stepsister?”
There was no way anyone could have missed the poison arrows Emma’s stare was shooting straight at Claire’s forehead. And of course Nicholas was aware of all the oxygen that had been sucked out of the room within a nanosecond.
Emma didn’t take her eyes off Claire. “Yes, she’s my stepsister.”
Nicholas shook his head. “Hold up. If you and Claire are stepsisters, then that means that—”
“Henry Tremaine was my father.” Emma bit her lip.
“Holy shit.”
Nicholas’ head felt way too small to make sense of it all. How in God’s name was Henry Tremaine’s daughter working as a maid in his house?
“Emma darling.” Claire sported one of her fake smiles. “It’s been forever.” She stepped forward and placed her arms on Emma’s shoulders, pulling her in for a little hug. Was it Nicholas’ imagination, or did Emma suddenly seem like she had the urge to vomit?
Emma pulled back and then searched the crowd around them before turning her attention back to Claire. “If you touch me again, I will rip out those fake hair extensions of yours so fast your head will spin.” Boy, Emma seemed really, really pissed at Claire. Why?
Claire’s little Botox smile remained plastered on her face. “Emma, there is no need for that. We’re practically family.”
“You are not my family. You and your mother are nothing to me.”
“It’s such a shame you feel that way. I so enjoyed all the times we played in the garden as little girls. I almost felt like we were real sisters.”
“Stop!” Emma blurted out, and a few people looked in their direction. “Just, stop.”
Claire cocked a brow. “What’s the matter, Emma? No good childhood memories for you?”
Nicholas was shocked to say the least. All he did was gawk at the two women like a total loser, until Adam finally nudged him in his side.
“Dude, you better do something before we have a bitch fight on our hands. Not that I would mind, but I don’t think Pops is going to be impressed.”
Nicholas grabbed Emma’s arm. “Emma, come on. Let’s go get something to drink.”
Emma continued to look at Claire, but as Nicholas persuaded her to follow him, Claire called after them, “I love the dress, Emma. I’m surprised you could afford it.”
And then Nicholas kind of lost it.
He let go of Emma’s hand and abruptly turned around, walking toward Claire. He brought his face inches from hers. “I see right through you, Claire. So you can stop your bullshit.”
Nicholas was about to turn away from her when he stopped and leaned back in. “And by the way, you and I, it’s never happening.”
He didn’t stick around to see the expression on Claire’s face, but he imagined that it was something between brooding and angry. Nicholas was so sick of her and his father’s bullshit that he just could not deal anymore. He took Emma’s hand, gripped it tight and led her through the crowd to the bar.
A lot of people were staring at them, and he gathered that what just went down had already spread throughout the dining hall in hushed whispers.
When they reached the bar he turned to Emma who still seemed shocked and incredibly angry. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
“It’s okay. You couldn’t have known.”
He took a deep
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