“He blackmailed you,” I said, the realization cold and heavy in my stomach.

“He told me if I didn’t cooperate, if I didn’t help his people access the local registry office to delete your license, he would ruin me.”

He finally looked up, his eyes wet with tears.

“And he said if I warned you, he would make sure you went down as an accomplice.”

“So you protected yourself,” I said, the bitterness sharp in my throat.

“I protected you,” he insisted, reaching out, but I stepped back.

“I couldn’t let you go to prison for my old mistakes.”

I looked at him, realizing the depth of the trap Senator Sterling had constructed around us.

“Who is the man living as Alexander?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” my father said, shaking his head.

“I swear, Claire. I only know that the Senator needed the Whitmore fortune, and he needed Alexander out of the way to get it.”

I turned around and walked out of the room, ignoring my father calling my name down the hallway.

I stood on the sidewalk outside, the city noise buzzing around me like static.