Chapter 71

• Alexander often found himself contemplating whether their father would ever come to realize that the true object of his scrutiny should not be him, but rather Valerie—the one with the shriveled, blackened heart.
• Perhaps their father already understood this uncomfortable truth, yet if he did, it was a fact he seemed indifferent to, just as Alexander held a similar indifference.
• "She is nothing more than a common whore," Valerie sobbed, stretching across the desk in search of additional tissues. "He has spoken of leaving me for her, Papa. He refuses to touch me because of her presence. If he has fathered a child with her, it must explain why he keeps her hidden by Lake."