Chapter 242

Emmeline turned her face away, unable to withstand the regard a moment longer without combusting. Focusing her attention on the snowman, she carefully positioned the two largest stones for the eyes before lining up the remaining pebbles in a neat arc to form a cheerful grin.

“You don’t feel any sort of...paternal affection toward me, though,” she murmured, keeping her gaze averted as she worked. “I know our relationship is far too unorthodox and inappropriate for anything even remotely like that. To you, I’m simply the younger woman you can’t resist showering with attention because of our age gap.”

The words tasted like ashes on her tongue, leaving a bitter pall of regret lingering in their wake. She knew, deep down, that she could never hope to fill that gaping void left by his daughter’s tragic demise - that she would forever be a poor substitute, no matter how much she might wish otherwise.

A sudden, wild thought blossomed in her mind, and before she could think