When Joshua's dad, Mr. Thornton, saw that the noise level was rising, he quickly stepped in to calm things down. He told her, "Victoria, that's enough," and his strong voice cut through the noise. "Please leave and give us some space."
Vicky was very angry, but she knew she shouldn't fight with Mr. Thornton in front of everyone. She gave Claire one last mean look, then turned on her heel and walked away.
Mr. Thornton looked at Claire and his face became softer. "Claire, let's visit my study." We need to talk.
Claire nodded, feeling both calm and worried at the same time. She made her way through the crowd after Mr. Thornton, knowing that many eyes were still on her. As they reached the study, he closed the door behind them, blocking out the noise of the party.
"Sit down, Claire," he said gently, pointing to a soft chair. "We need to have a proper conversation about everything that's been happening."
