Meredith Rowan turned aside and took a quiet, deep breath, trying to swallow the bitter taste of a problem of her own making. She forced a laugh and said, "Oh, so that's what you meant, Shirley."
Shirley Thorne put on a look of pure innocence, blinking her almond-shaped eyes. "What else?"
Meredith Rowan gave a hollow laugh as her mind raced to come up with a countermeasure.
'She couldn't let Zane Lowell's work be made public. His skill level was just barely passable for a general audience. Compared to Shirley Thorne's, it would be like a pro demolishing a complete amateur. There was simply no comparison.'
But if she refused the comparison, she couldn't think of a convincing excuse.
'What should I do?'
"Aunt Rowan?"
Seeing Meredith Rowan fall silent, Shirley watched her with amusement. In her mind, a tiny version of herself was idly cracking melon seeds while she reflected.
'Am I being too malicious?'
