Terror crashed over Webster like a cold wave. He felt desperate to flee from the truth, unable to bear hearing Johan's disappointment and harsh words about the Noah family. In sheer panic, he bolted.
'That can't be right,' Webster's mind raced. 'Sure, Sallie wasn't blood, but all those years living under the same roof had to count for something.'
'How could years of shared memories mean nothing compared to some biological connection? How could she be so cold and calculating?'
'When she claimed she wasn't Noah family, that had to be rage talking. She's still bitter about getting shipped off to St. Chaim Reform Academy. That's all this is.'
Consumed by his spiraling thoughts, Webster barely registered Jill approaching until they nearly collided.
Jill's face twisted in annoyance, ready to snap at him, but seeing his hollow expression stopped her cold. "Webster? What happened?"
She called his name repeatedly before he finally surfaced from his trance. "Nothing..."
