When their eyes suddenly met, Ivan instinctively looked away, and a tear quietly slipped down his face. Clarice was momentarily stunned.
It was the first time she had seen Ivan so vulnerable.
“Sorry, I...” Clarice instinctively began to apologize.
Ivan rubbed his face, his voice regaining its usual calmness as if nothing had happened. “I’m the one who should apologize for making you go through all of this.”
Ivan stood up, putting some distance between himself and Clarice. “I’ll give you an explanation for what happened.”
Clarice didn’t understand his sudden shift. “What kind of explanation?”
Ivan walked to his desk, took out a stack of checks, signed his name on one, and tore it off. “You came to me for that orphanage child’s medical expenses. As compensation, I will cover her costs
