Clara’s POV
He studied my face for a moment, as if trying to gauge my mood. "You're angry."
"You think?" I crossed my arms over my chest. "You've been stalking me for hours. Of course I'm angry."
"I apologize for my persistence, but this couldn't wait." He gestured to a fallen log nearby. "Please, sit. This is going to take more than fifteen minutes to explain properly."
"I'll stand. Start talking."
He nodded, seeming to accept that I wasn't going to make this easy for him. "What do you know about your parents, Clara? About your family history?"
The question caught me off guard. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"Everything." His eyes were intense, focused completely on my face. "Your last name is Ashburn, correct? But what about your mother's maiden name?"
I frowned. "Red
