CLAIRE
Julian opened his laptop on the kitchen counter and gestured for me to sit on one of the bar stools beside him. I sat down slowly, clutching the coffee cup he'd given me earlier like it was the only solid thing in my spinning world.
"Okay," Julian said, his fingers hovering over the keyboard. "First rule of public statements: keep it simple, keep it honest, and give them just enough to make them want to believe you."
"Just enough?" I repeated, my voice uncertain.
"We're not writing your autobiography," he explained, glancing at me. "We're giving them a narrative that makes sense, one that makes you the wronged party and Ethan the villain."
"He is the villain," I said quietly.
"I know," Julian replied, his tone softening slightly. "But we need everyone else to know it too."
He
