"Okay, Mom's just going inside to put some things down. She'll be right out. Thank you." She rarely ordered around servants she wasn't familiar with and didn't put on the airs of an Imperial Concubine.
The servant who was sweeping wanted to say something more, but a figure suddenly burst through the palace gates. Walking quickly, the person came right up to them, raised a hand, and slapped Ashley Bowen hard across the face.
The slap was so heavy it almost sent the nearby servant reeling as well.
Claire Sutton was consumed by rage and started screaming, "Ashley Bowen! What makes you think I've wronged Adam, that anything I do now that he's dead is pointless? What about you? If you hadn't convinced Adam to go find my dad that night, would he have gotten into an accident? You tell me, why did you send him to his death when you knew it was dangerous! You murderer!"
She grabbed Ashley's shoulders, her voice filled with agitation, and relentlessly forced her backward.
