Chapter 383

“Ms. Richards, there’s no need to be so tense.” Victor seemed to catch onto her unease and gave a few words of comfort before withdrawing his gaze. He was six years older than Julian—handsome in a well-defined way, composed, and pragmatic. The kind of man who always put family interests first. His marriage to Marian was purely business. It built a bridge linking the Colemans and the Lawsons. Love? That was never a factor. They maintained a polite distance post-wedding, nothing more. Now that Marian had an accident, he did feel unsettled and a bit remorseful... but that was it. Right now, what occupied his mind the most was how to clean up this situation and explain things to the Lawsons. Claire picked up on the implied message and quietly let out a breath of relief. At least her cousin wasn’t being unreasonable. But what felt like a normal exchange to Claire seemed to scream something else entirely to Martha. In her eyes, both her husband and son were classic alpha males—never the type