Chapter 97

Arthur and Marianne looked like they'd been expecting him. They sat upright on the couch, calm and composed, waiting. Fraser sat across from them without wasting a second. His voice was low and cold, not an ounce of emotion in it. "Mrs. Blake, Bellamy's innocent. I don't know what happened between you and my father all those years ago, but no matter what it was, she has nothing to do with it. Taking it out on her was way over the line." Marianne's face stayed expressionless, but the sharp chill in Fraser's last words made her waver just a little. The boy she'd helped raise was now standing against her – clear, firm, with no room for compromise. "So you're not letting this go," she said mildly, "You think I need to pay for what I did, don't you?" Fraser's lips pressed into a tight line. He didn't reply, just stared at her – his presence calm but imposing. "I see..." Marianne gave a soft chuckle, and though her tone was light, her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, making that smile look