Aiden Knight's POV
The black SUV's passenger door closes with a soft thud that somehow carries through the glass windows. The figure approaching our entrance moves with the kind of unhurried confidence that comes from absolute certainty in one's position.
I recognize her immediately, though I haven't seen her in years.
Helena Vance. Clara's mother. The woman who made it clear at every family gathering that the Steele family was beneath the Vances' social standing.
She's dressed impeccably as always, her silver hair perfectly styled, her expression carrying that familiar mixture of disdain and cold calculation. In her hands, she carries an ornate gift box wrapped in expensive paper.
Catherine Shaw practically presses her face against the window. "Is that Clara's mother? Why would she come here?"
"This should be interesting," Marcus Wells murmurs, though his tone suggests he finds family drama beneath his usual concerns.
