The moment Clara turned, her wrist was gently seized.
She looked back and met Arthur’s deep gaze. He had somehow moved to her side and blocked her path.
"Clara, hear me out first. It wouldn’t be too late to leave afterward."
Clara frowned. She glanced at Julian, still kneeling in the distance in a daze, then at the man in front of her, and found the situation almost absurd.
"Arthur?" she said with a faint edge of sarcasm. "Julian’s uncle? No wonder you looked familiar the first time I saw you. No wonder you lied to me about your name."
Arthur stiffened for a moment.
"I didn’t mean to lie to you." His voice was low and slightly hoarse. "Arthur was my mother’s family name. I didn’t make it up. I just didn’t want you to push me away at the start just because of the Rivers name. I knew a
