Chapter 366

What really got to Anthony was the way Claire acted now. She smiled like it was all water under the bridge, as if the past didn't hurt anymore. When talking about what she'd been through overseas, her tone was breezy, casual. "Yeah, some not-so-great stuff happened while I was abroad," she said, still smiling. "The gap between rich and poor areas is no joke. And honestly, I was kind of broke at the time, so I ran into some people I shouldn't have. But things got better later—Adrian really looked out for me." At the mention of Adrian, her smile grew warmer. That was just how siblings were—fights and teasing came with the territory, but deep down, it was all love. Anthony didn't find her light demeanor reassuring, though. If anything, it made him frown even more. "The Cooper family… they didn't look after you at all back then?" From what he'd gathered, it was Nelson who'd sent her away. Sure, even if Nelson hated being forced into marriage, cutting her off financially? That sounded a bit