Richard's eyes sharpened at the sound of the name, a flicker of something like pain passing over his features before it vanished just as quickly. He leaned back slowly in his chair, his gaze fixed on her now, studying her with a wariness that hadn't been there a moment ago.
"Melrose," he repeated, almost under his breath, as if testing the weight of the name after years of keeping it locked away. His lips pressed together, his jaw tightening before he finally exhaled heavily. One hand rose to rub across the stubble along his chin, buying himself a moment. "How do you even know about her? And why are you bringing this up now? For all intents and purposes, Marianne has been your mother—"
