The phone still vibrated in my hand long after Liam’s footsteps faded down the hall. His confession—raw, reckless, burning with a truth I hadn’t wanted to hear—still echoed in my chest. I love you, Clara. I had forced steel into my voice, told him he was nothing more than an intern, and yet as soon as he was gone, the silence he left behind cut deeper than his words.
And then Marco’s number flashed on the screen, cruel and merciless.
I pressed accept, my voice trembling despite my attempt at composure. “Yes?”
“Good afternoon, Mrs. Romano.” Marco’s tone dripped with amusement, threaded with the self-assurance of a man who knew he had the upper hand. “I trust our little meeting left you… thoughtful?”
“I gave you what I could,” I said quickly, my gaze flicking toward the door, half-afraid
