"Hello?" The woman's voice carried a faint familiarity.
Clara guessed it might be James's assistant—the one he'd brought to America.
"This is Clara Green. Can I speak to James, please?"
A weighted pause. "Clara? It's Lori. Is this urgent? If not, I'll have him call you back when he wakes."
Of course. His fiancée. They couldn't even bear a business trip apart—that's why they'd flown to New York together.
"Clara? Are you still there?" Lori's honeyed voice dripped with faux concern.
Clara's fingers clenched the phone. This was the woman who'd nearly cost her unborn child. Every instinct recoiled at that saccharine tone. But desperation muted pride—her mother's medical bills couldn't wait.
"I'm here. Please wake James. It's urgent." Her voice rasped, raw at the edges.
Lori's giggle was
