Selina's lips curved into an incredulous smile. This old man never ceased to surprise her. Whether they believed she was the culprit or not, she knew they needed her under their scrutiny and control to achieve what they wanted in the alliance—especially in their current crisis.
And now he was reminding her she was only Clarissa's replacement. No. She refused to be used and discarded again.
"Too late, Mr Everett," she declared. His jaw nearly dropped. She couldn't call him grandfather—not when he had never seen her as his granddaughter.
"What do you mean?"
"You had every chance to make my life easier, but you chose to abandon me—because you feared my existence would ruin your perfect family and empire." Selina folded her arms across her chest. "And from now on, I won't accept a thing from you."
Gilbert's grip tightened around the top of his walking stick, shaken by the resolve in her voice. But as always, his heart hardened.
