Clara crouched in the cramped restroom stall, her face ghostly pale as she repeated the desperate mantra: If I can't stay by his side forever, he'll naturally find someone else. Lori truly loves him—she's the perfect match. I ought to be happy for him.
The office gossip she'd overheard earlier replayed in her mind—today James would return to collect his things from the company.
Sudden dread coiled like a serpent in her chest. She couldn't bear to see him. With her pulse hammering, she slipped out of the restroom, determined to tell Anthony she was leaving early.
Her hand had barely touched his office door when Floyd emerged.
"Negotiations over?" Clara asked.
Floyd spread his hands in a theatrical shrug. "Over—and crashed spectacularly."
"But you said Lancaster Group's support was cru
