Chapter 7

Claire went quiet for a moment.

If this were Lance, he’d probably roll his eyes and think Pandora was just being pretentious. But after last night, and especially after waking up and seeing the house this morning, Claire was starting to get a feel for her grandmother’s world. Pandora might live out in the country, but honestly, she was probably a lot richer than the James family back in the city. The whole house practically whispered old money, and every little thing around here looked like it belonged in a museum.

Maybe Pandora really hadn’t been exaggerating. That jade Buddha probably didn’t even register as impressive in her eyes.

“Thank you, Patti.” Claire accepted the pendant, flashing a sweet smile. That was just her way-she was warm to anyone who treated her kindly.

“Come on, let’s head inside and eat. You must be starving,” Patti said, obviously pleased that Claire wasn’t acting all distant.

She could tell that Pandora had never really warmed up to Cindy, but with Claire, the affection was impossible to hide. If not, Pandora wouldn’t have asked Patti to help with lunch—before, she would have just thrown something together with Cindy and called it a day.

Claire nodded. She really was hungry. But instead of just heading to the table, she went over to help her grandmother stand up. Pandora kept insisting she didn’t need any help, but still, she leaned closer to Claire without even noticing.

The dining table was set with four dishes and a big bowl of soup, just enough to fill the whole table. The soup was a rich chicken and wild mushroom broth that smelled amazing. The vegetables were a bright green, the eggs a soft gold-every plate looked delicious.

“We’re just having a simple lunch today. Tonight, we’ll open the ancestral hall and officially bring you into the family,” Pandora said.

Claire blinked at her. “Aren’t you worried I might be a fake, Grandma p>

Pandora flicked her on the forehead. “You look like your mom, but you also look like your dad. And your dad looks like me p>

“And besides, blood ties are strange things. There’s no arguing with them p>

She’d always had this feeling that Cindy wasn’t actually her real granddaughter, but for reasons she’d never dared check. Now, with her real granddaughter finally home, Pandora couldn’t help but feel a natural closeness. It was obvious who belonged here.

Claire grinned. “Guess I really do take after you, Grandma. We’re both stunners.” Pandora laughed, looking even happier.

“I haven’t seen you this cheerful in ages,” Patti said as she ladled soup into their bowls.

“Patti, sit and eat with us,” Pandora said.

It was only after Pandora insisted that Patti grabbed a bowl and chopsticks for

herself and joined them at the table.

The two older women might have worried Claire wasn’t used to rural cooking but she surprised them by eating two full bowls of rice an drinking two servings of soup.

Patti stared at her with even more tenderness, like she was looking at a little lost kitten. “Claire, was life with the James

Realy that rouda?

Did they not even feed you?

Claire felt a little awkward and scratched her nose. “It wasn’t that bad p>

“Yesterday was supposed to be my coming-of-age party, but then Lance brought

Cindy home,” she explained, keeping it short.

Pandora’s expression darkened.

She’d actually been planning to thank the James family for raising Claire for eighteen years, and since they were well-off, she’d picked out only the best gifts. Now, though, it seemed like the Jameses hadn’t. treated Claire nearly as well as she’d thought.

Those gifts would have to be downgraded.

Later that afternoon, Pearce showed up in a rush.

“Pandora, all the offerings for tonight’s ceremony are ready. And I’ve got the thank-

you gifts you wanted to send to the James family p>

“There’s a sixty-year-old wild ginseng from under the Red Fruit Tree p>

“Two purple reishi mushrooms, both as big as a soup bowl p>

“And a sixty-year-old fo-ti root.” He paused and smiled. “Not the one I accidentally broke last night p>