Chapter 14

Before coming here, Julia had looked into the Vaughan family, so she immediately recognized the woman speaking. She was Caroline Shaw, the niece of Noah's aunt. Since Caroline's family had fallen on hard times, she'd been living off the Vaughans for years. Noah's uncle had even tried to match her with Noah. Too bad for them, Noah had never shown the slightest interest in Caroline, since he'd spent all those years waiting for Julia. That was why Caroline looked so hostile the moment she saw Julia. Noah was about to stand up for Julia, but she gently stopped him. "It's okay. She's here for me. I can handle it myself." Julia arched an eyebrow at Caroline. Her tone was calm and unruffled. "You seem to know a lot about me, Ms. Shaw." Caroline gave a cold laugh. "I wouldn't say I know you, but your reputation sure precedes you. It's hard not to hear things. "You and Noah may have been promised to each other, but that was years ago. You went missing as a child and didn't even grow up in