Julian froze mid-step, his jaw tightening. "Watch your mouth when you talk about her parents," he warned quietly, but Clara only scoffed.
"Her parents?" she sneered, waving her hand dismissively. "Those fools ruined themselves! That factory job was their choice. Always acting like martyrs when they signed that contract themselves. And now that their daughter has a few coins and fancy husbands, she thinks she can rewrite history?"
Adrian's expression didn't change, but the temperature in the room seemed to drop with his silence. "You sure talk a lot for someone about to face an investigation," he said softly, his voice too calm, the kind of calm that made even the officers glance at him.
Clara let out a dry laugh. "Investigation? Into what? That witch's delusions? She was always weak, always crying, always drunk, useless. I took her in when no one else would! And how did she repay me? By spreading lies about me, making me the villain!"
