Chapter 2 - THE EX-FIANCÉE AT THE TABLEVictoria Hale looked exactly like the woman Claire imagined people expected Roman Duke to marry.
Tall.
Elegant.
Thin.
Dark red dress.
Diamond earrings.
Hair arranged so perfectly it probably had its own insurance policy.
Claire immediately disliked herself for noticing the comparison.
Then she stopped.
No.
She wasn't doing that anymore.
She hadn't spent years learning to accept herself just to surrender that progress because some beautiful woman owned expensive cheekbones.
Claire smiled.
“Nice to meet you.”
Victoria's gaze dropped briefly toward the cake.
“You brought dessert?”
“Yes.”
“How sweet.”
The insult was subtle.
Claire almost admired the craftsmanship.
Roman stepped beside her.
“I didn't know Victoria would be here.”
Victoria smiled.
“Would it have changed anything?”
“Yes.”
One word.
Cold.
Claire looked at Roman.
Interesting.
Susan appeared and took Claire's cake.
“You came!”
“You invited me approximately against my will.”
“Best kind of invitation.”
Susan hugged her.
Roman's mother, Margaret Duke, approached more cautiously.
Unlike Susan, Margaret didn't smile immediately.
She studied Claire.
Not rudely.
Assessing.
Claire knew the look.
She had spent years receiving it.
Can this woman fit into our world?
Claire extended her hand.
“Mrs. Duke.”
“Margaret.”
They shook.
“Roman tells us very little.”
Claire glanced at him.
“He tells me very little too.”
Victoria laughed.
“That sounds like Roman.”
Dinner began.
Claire was seated beside Lily.
Roman sat opposite her.
Victoria sat beside Roman.
Of course.
For twenty minutes, conversation remained safe.
Business.
Weather.
Lily's school.
Then Victoria asked:
“How did you two meet?”
Claire reached for water.
Roman answered.
“She assaulted me with flour.”
Silence.
Lily burst out laughing.
Susan followed.
Even Margaret smiled.
Victoria didn't.
Claire explained.
“He refused to understand no.”
Roman nodded.
“Accurate.”
“You threw flour at Roman Duke?” one cousin asked.
“Yes.”
“And you're alive?”
Claire looked at Roman.
“Apparently his reputation is exaggerated.”
Roman's mouth curved.
Victoria watched them.
Something sharp appeared in her eyes.
Then she said:
“I remember when Roman preferred quieter women.”
Claire smiled.
“Then it's fortunate I'm not applying for a position.”
Lily nearly choked.
Roman looked down, hiding a smile.
Victoria's face tightened.
After dinner, Claire helped Susan carry plates despite being told staff would handle everything.
She needed space.
The Duke family wasn't terrible.
That was inconvenient.
She had expected criminals sitting around discussing threats.
Instead, they argued about football.
Roman's cousin cheated at cards.
Susan complained about everyone's eating habits.
Margaret showed Lily embarrassing childhood photographs.
They were a family.
Complicated.
Wealthy.
Powerful.
But still a family.
Claire was carrying plates toward the kitchen when she heard Victoria behind her.
“You're enjoying this.”
Claire turned.
“Dinner?”
“The attention.”
Claire placed the plates down.
“What attention?”
“Roman's.”
There it was.
Claire sighed.
“I'm not dating Roman.”
“That's not what he tells people.”
“Roman says many irritating things.”
Victoria stepped closer.
“You don't belong here.”
Claire stared at her.
Not because the sentence surprised her.
Because it was boring.
Painfully predictable.
Claire smiled.
Victoria frowned.
“What?”
“I was expecting something better.”
“Excuse me?”
“You're the beautiful ex-fiancée confronting the plus-size baker in the kitchen. Surely you prepared material.”
Victoria's eyes hardened.
“This isn't funny.”
“No. It's cliché.”
“You think Roman is interested in you?”
Claire's smile faded.
“I don't care what Roman is interested in.”
“That isn't true.”
Claire paused.
Victoria noticed.
“There.”
She smiled.
“You do care.”
Before Claire could answer, Roman's voice came from the doorway.
“Victoria.”
Both women turned.
He stood completely still.
“How long have you been there?” Claire asked.
“Long enough.”
Victoria crossed her arms.
“This is ridiculous.”
“Yes.”
Roman looked at her.
“It is.”
Then he walked toward Claire.
Victoria's expression changed.
“Roman.”
“You don't speak to guests in my family's home that way.”
“I was protecting you.”
“From what?”
Victoria looked directly at Claire.
“Embarrassment.”
The kitchen became silent.
Claire felt the old wound open.
Not because she believed Victoria.
Because once, years ago, she would have.
Roman's expression became frighteningly calm.
“Leave.”
Victoria blinked.
“What?”
“Dinner is over for you.”
“Roman—”
“Now.”
Margaret appeared behind him.
“What's happening?”
Victoria looked toward her.
“Apparently Roman is throwing me out because his baker is sensitive.”
His baker.
Claire's jaw tightened.
Roman took one step forward.
“She has a name.”
Victoria grabbed her handbag.
“This family has completely lost its mind.”
She walked out.
Margaret watched her go.
Then looked at Claire.
For a terrible second, Claire expected pity.
Instead Margaret said:
“I apologize.”
Claire blinked.
“You don't have to.”
“Yes, I do. She was invited into my home.”
Susan appeared.
“What happened?”
“Victoria happened,” Lily said.
Susan rolled her eyes.
“I told you not to invite her.”
Margaret sighed.
“You tell me many things.”
“And occasionally I'm right.”
“Occasionally.”
Claire laughed.
The tension broke.
Later, Roman walked Claire to her car.
“You okay?”
“Yes.”
“That's not convincing.”
She stopped.
“I've heard worse.”
“That doesn't make it acceptable.”
“No.”
He looked at her.
The night was cold.
Claire folded her arms.
“You really were engaged to her?”
“Four years ago.”
“Why did it end?”
Roman's expression changed.
“She wanted the name.”
“The Duke name?”
“And everything attached to it.”
“Money?”
“Power.”
Claire nodded.
“Did you love her?”
Roman took too long.
“I thought I did.”
Claire didn't know why the answer relieved her.
She hated that it did.
Roman opened her car door.
She didn't get in.
“Roman.”
“Yes?”
“Why did you keep coming back to the bakery?”
He looked toward the house.
Then toward her.
“Lily hadn't been eating.”
Claire's chest tightened.
“She'd lost fourteen pounds in two months.”
“Roman…”
“Therapists. Doctors. Nutritionists. Nothing changed.”
He looked at her.
“Then she ate your ugly cinnamon roll.”
Claire swallowed.
“So you came back.”
“Yes.”
“For Lily.”
“At first.”
The last two words hung between them.
Claire's pulse changed.
“At first?”
Roman stepped closer.
Not touching.
Just close enough that she could smell cedar and coffee.
“Then I discovered the baker was interesting.”
Claire's mouth went dry.
“Roman.”
“Yes?”
“Don't.”
“Don't what?”
She didn't know.
Flirt?
Look at her like that?
Make her believe something she wasn't ready to believe?
Roman's phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
His expression changed instantly.
“Excuse me.”
He answered.
“What?”
Silence.
Then his face went cold.
“When?”
Another pause.
“Is she safe?”
Claire's stomach dropped.
Roman looked toward the house.
“Lock everything down.”
He ended the call.
“What happened?”
Roman looked at Claire.
“Someone followed Lily home from school yesterday.”
“Who?”
“We don't know.”
Then the front door opened.
Lily stood there.
Terrified.
Holding an envelope.
“Roman?”
He turned.
She raised it.
“This was in my backpack.”
Roman took the envelope.
Inside was a photograph.
Lily leaving Claire's bakery.
On the back were five words.
SHE LOOKS JUST LIKE HER MOTHER.
Roman went completely still.
Claire whispered:
“What does that mean?”
He looked at Lily.
Then at Claire.
May you like
And for the first time since she met him, Roman Duke looked afraid.
“My sister didn't die in an accident.”
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