Chapter 303
“What’s the big deal about helping me find her p>
Lance just didn’t get it. Ever since Claire left the James family, she’d turned so cold and distant. How could she act like none of them mattered anymore, just because she wasn’t technically a James now?
If Claire could read his mind, she’d be doubled over laughing.
Hadn’t the James family been the ones to toss her out in the first place? And now they wanted to act all sentimental—as if that wouldn’t come back to bite them.
“I don’t owe you anything. She’s your sister, not mine,” Claire said, her voice sharp with irritation.
Lance refused to back down. “If she hadn’t run out to apologize to you, she wouldn’t have left her phone behind. Can you really not help look for her p>
Claire almost blurted out, Are you stupid, or just pretending?
How else could someone make this little sense?
“Lance, don’t push me. I swear I’ll say something you don’t want to hear. She came to apologize, and now I’m supposed to be responsible when something goes wrong p>
“It’s not like I even asked her to come p>
“Besides, you know exactly why she needed to apologize to me, don’t you p>
“So what, everything is suddenly my fault p>
Claire had half a mind to mention she’d already bumped into Cindy at the hospital, but she was so over this conversation. Let Lance waste his time searching.
“If you hadn’t gone to winter camp, Cindy wouldn’t be under so much pressure. Her mental health wouldn’t have tanked, Mom wouldn’t have reacted that way, and Cindy wouldn’t have posted all that nonsense online,” Lance argued. “How can you think you didn’t do anything wrong p>
Who even knew what was going through his head? He just couldn’t stand the idea of Claire actually walking away from the James family, like everything between them meant nothing.
Claire snorted. “Do you hear yourself right now? My success is somehow her problem p>
“Lance, were you jealous of me this whole time p>
“Did you find your real sister and just couldn’t wait to shove me out the door p>
Jealous?
Lance stiffened, his face tense.
Had he ever been jealous of Claire?
He knew she was insanely
was
talented—always had been, ever since they were kids. Their parents and relatives never stopped bragging about her. Over time, his feelings about Claire had gotten complicated. Sure, there was some jealousy. That made him pay closer attention to her, but it didn’t end there p>
“Claire, finding Cindy and making sure you both went back to the right homes was for everyone’s good. If you still feel bitter about it honestly, get it
“I’m not bitter,” Claire said with a shrug. “But if you keep pushing, maybe I’ll have to
start poking around in that old hospital case p>
“Honestly, I’m more interested in how two babies could get swapped in the first place p>
“That doesn’t just happen by accident p>
“Was it really just a hospital screw-up, or did somebody do it on purpose p>
“If you figured out Cindy and I were switched, you must have looked into the details too, right p>
Claire stared at Lance, waiting.
He couldn’t meet her gaze. After a moment, he mumbled, “I checked They said it was a mistake at the hospital. The nurses who were involved, some left, and a few resigned out of guilt p>
“And the family decided not to pursue it since it wasn’t on purpose p>
Claire arched a brow. “Did the hospital pay damages? Swapping two kids is serious. Both families should have gotten something p>
Lance’s expression tightened. “Claire, when did you start caring so much about money p>
“All I want is for the people who messed up to be held accountable, and for the
people who suffered to be compensated. What’s wrong with that p>
She looked at him, her smile teasing. “Or maybe you’re all hiding something from me p>
Lance went silent, staring at the floor.
After a long, awkward pause, he snapped, “I don’t have time for this p>