Chapter 101

Valerie’s POV

I was sitting cross-legged on my bedroom floor, the soft hum of my phone filling the quiet air as I scrolled through messages, when I heard a polite rap on the door. I frowned, irritated by the interruption.

“Who is it?” I snapped without looking up, my tone sharper than intended.

From the other side, the familiar voice of one of the house staff replied, “Ma’am, someone is here to see you.”

I huffed and paused my browsing. It must be one of the maids, arriving with more errands. “Does this person have a name?” I asked, a little too rudely.

The voice hesitated. “It’s me… Clara.” The name hit me like a bucket of cold water.

“Clara?!” I muttered under my breath. What on earth was Clara doing here? And why in the world was she calling me out like that?

I sprang to my feet and crossed the room in two quick strides. With a flick of my wrist, I swung open the door.

She stood there, arms crossed, chin tilted upward. “You d