Building Her Throne Burying My Heart (Claire) novel Chapter 44

But when morning came, the news hit—her father was gone. And at the same time, word spread that I had disappeared for real. I had left her behind, vanished without a trace. The girl who used to cry at everything didn’t shed a single tear. She calmly buried her father, took charge of the mess he left behind, and faced all the pressure alone. From that day on, the Claire everyone knew was gone. Whatever innocence she’d had was buried with that summer.

Her thoughts snapped back to the present.

Claire pulled her gaze away, her voice flat. “Follow him.”

Laird drove after me, sticking to the path I’d taken, all the way to the cemetery. “Claire, he’s gone into the cemetery. What’s he doing here?”

She didn’t answer, just kept her distance, watching as I slipped through the gates and found her father’s grave.

“Claire, that’s your father’s plot. What’s he doing there? He didn’t even bring an umbrella. Should we give him one?”

Claire shot him a look. “Why do you sound so worried about him? Did I tell him not to bring an umbrella? Let him do whatever he wants. If he wants to put on a show, we’ll watch.”

Laird said nothing after that. He’d been with the Gates family since Claire was a kid. He knew about everything between me and her, and seeing us like this was the last thing he wanted.

“I just don’t want you to have regrets,” Laird said quietly. “There are things we still don’t know.”

Claire’s eyes were like ice. “If forgiveness was easy, what would hate even mean? Can you just pretend all that pain and every scar never happened? No way. This is just the beginning. If he wants something from me, he’ll have to pay for it.”

Her words were final. “Even if he collapsed right in front of me, I wouldn’t care. I wouldn’t help. Not ever.”

Laird knew she meant it. The more she’d loved, the deeper her hate went now. But the moment she finished talking, there was a heavy thud by the grave. I slumped forward, my head hitting the stone with a sick sound.

Laird’s heart nearly stopped. Anyone would struggle in this weather, let alone someone who’d been drinking all night. “Claire... what do we do now? This can’t go on…” He looked at her, desperate for a decision.