The black Bentley cuts through rain-slicked asphalt.
Today would have been Julian's thirtieth birthday.
Claire turns her head slightly. Ethan sits beside her, posture immaculate, shoulders squared beneath a tailored black suit. He looks composed, untouched by weather or memory.
After a moment, he speaks, voice calm and distant. "What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing," she answers instinctively. Then, after a brief pause, she adds quietly, "Just... thinking it's a shame."
The words feel misplaced the instant they leave her mouth.
She hadn't known Julian well. When she first married into the Lowe family, even hearing his name was enough to send Ethan's mother into uncontrollable tears. Claire had learned to stay silent, uneasy around a man she'd never met.
Only days ago did she final
