Chapter 6 Dissolution
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Frederick had been shaken, too, but he pulled himself together fast. “Honey, come on, Clare already admitted her mistake,” he said, holding Penelope’s arm gently. She’s clearly been through a lot. Look at her eyes. She’s exhausted. Let’s just let her rest.
As he spoke, he helped Clarissa up from the floor and gave the maid a quick nod. The message was clear–Get her upstairs)
Penelope was still frozen in place. Clarissa kneeling had completely thrown her. By the time she snapped out of it. Clarissa was already gone.
“Get that girl back down here!” she shouted. Her voice cracked with fury. “She ran off like that and thinks she can just waltz back in like nothing happened? This wasn’t skipping curfew. She eloped!”
Frederick stepped in again, doing what he always did–soothing, smoothing, trying to keep peace. “She already owned up to it. Make her kneel.again, and you’ll just feel worse. Besides, we covered most of it up. Hardly anyone knows. I’ll take care of the Jeffersons myself.”
Penelope had always talked tough, but she was tender–hearted. Seeing Clarissa back safe had already chipped away most of the anger. With Frederick’s calm voice wrapping around her, she gave up the fight for now.
Selina, though, was burning inside. Clarissa had walked away without a scratch. There was no screaming contest, she got no punishment, and they didn’t even have a fallout.
She watched the staircase, eyes cold. Then, she followed, her steps slow and silent.
Upstairs. Clarissa stood still in her old bedroom, her eyes sweeping the room.
Every piece of furniture, every picture frame, looked exactly as it had years ago. Nothing had changed. She had lived in this same house. And in her last life, she had been dragged from it, locked in a filthy basement by Selina and Gregory. She remembered rats crawling over her. Snakes slithering past. Roaches covering the walls.
The door creaked open. “Clare.”
Selina walked in with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
Clarissa looked at her with the kind of coldness that came from pain too deep to show.
“You always went head–to–head with Mom,” Selina mentioned, watching her closely. “What happened just now? You actually got on your knees and said sorry?”
Clarissa didn’t flinch. Her stare didn’t waver. There was a quiet force behind it. “What, were you hoping I’d blow up again?” she asked, her voice cool.
“Of course not,” Selina replied quickly. Her smile faltered, but she covered it fast. “It’s just… Weren’t you and Mr. Gosling supposed to be long gone by now? How did Jonathan catch you?”
She had planned it all so carefully. Clarissa’s scandal would ruin everything.
And when both families turned their backs on her, Selina would step in. The engagement hadn’t named a daughter. And before Clarissa came back, Selina had been the bride–to–be.
“Jonathan runs Imperia. You think he’d let us slip away?” Clarissa retorted without emotion.
Selina bit the inside of her cheek.
Jonathan’s reach was absolute.
“So, you came back. Where’s Mr. Gosling now?” she asked, her voice just barely steady.
“Jonathan caught him,” Clarissa answered with a shrug, like it didn’t matter anymore.
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7:56 PM P P.
Chapter 6 Dissolution
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Selina clenched her jaw. With Gregory in Jonathan’s hands, he might never make it out. “Clare, I know you care about him,” she said softly, her tone all sugary. “If you really want to save him… and if you want to get out of the engagement with Jonathan… I might have a way.”
Clarissa raised an eyebrow.
“You just need to go all out. Make it big. Something dramatic. Cut your wrist or throw a fit. Mom and Dad will panic. They won’t dare force you into this marriage. They’ll go to Jonathan themselves and demand he let Gregory go.”
Selina’s voice stayed sweet, but her eyes gleamed. If Clarissa cracked like that, Jonathan would be done with her. His pride would never survive it. He didn’t chase women who broke down. He didn’t go after drama.
And once that door slammed shut, Selina would be
