Chapter 154

The moment her choked, angry sob slipped out, the whole atmosphere between them froze. Adrian's grip loosened completely, disbelief flickering in his eyes. His voice rose, sharp with fury, "Debbie, do you even hear yourself right now?" Claire, eyes rimmed red, stared at him for a beat before turning away, not sparing him a glance as she walked off. She didn't even know why those words came out. But the moment her brother called her "Claire" like that, it felt like a stab. Anyone else could call her that, could even curse her as an unwanted orphan, and she wouldn't bat an eye. But not him. Not Adrian. She was back with the Fields now... That name didn't belong to her anymore. Still in her chef's uniform, she stumbled out of Lotus Smoke without changing. Lucky for her, it wasn't mealtime yet, so the place wasn't crowded. No one paid attention to a woman wiping tears and walking out with red, puffy eyes. The evening breeze cooled her down, a bit of clarity cutting through the emotions. Sh