Chapter 7
Daniel Reed froze, as if a single thread of clarity had just pierced the fog in his mind–Claire Whitmore’s recent coldness and finality, and those two “gifts” she had sent.
Could it really have been her?}
Flashbulbs burst to life again, the reporters‘ questions now even sharper.
“Ms. Lane, are you saying Mrs. Reed sabotaged this?”
“Mr. Reed, does your wife have any connection to the Whitmore Group?“”
Daniel looked from Sophie Lane’s tear–streaked face to the memory of Claire’s icy expression, suspicion sprouting in his mind like weeds after rain. He kept his eyes locked on the entrance, as if Claire might appear at any moment to give him an explanation.
But the doorway remained empty–only sunlight streamed through the glass doors, pooling in a glaring patch across the
floor.
He didn’t know that, at that very moment, Claire was sitting in her car, watching the live feed her lawyer had sent, the corner of her mouth curved in a cold, amused arc.\
The show had only just begun.”
Sophie’s words had left Daniel deeply unsettled. Images of Claire’s detachment, the divorce papers, and her decisiveness churned in his mind.
He suddenly shoved past the reporters like a charging beast, storming out of the press conference with only one thought in his head–find Claire and make her answer for this.
The hospital corridor still reeked of disinfectant. Daniel slammed open the glass door to the nurses‘ station, grabbing a nurse’s arm with a menacing glare. “Where’s Claire Whitmore? Which room is she in?”
Startled, the nurse wrenched free. “Mr. Reed? Mrs. Whitmore was discharged first thing this morning. Didn’t she tell you?“” “Discharged?” The words hit him like a lightning bolt. He stood frozen for a moment.”
She had just… left? Without a word? That was as good as a confession of guilt in his mind. His jaw clenched, and he turned on his heel, heading for home with a dogged, stumbling urgency.”
But when he pushed open the front door, the sight that greeted him knocked the air from his lungs.”
The once–cozy home was now eerily bare. The wedding portrait on the wall was gone, leaving only faint outlines. The closet was empty, even most of the hangers taken. The bookshelves, the rug in the living room, the plants on the balcony–every trace of Claire had vanished, as if she had never lived there at all.”
“Claire! Get out here!” Daniel’s roar echoed through the empty rooms as he tore through the place, overturning the coffee table, kicking over
Chairs. But the only reply was the hollow reverberation of his own voice.
For the first time, his heart
She wasn’t sulking–sh
pounded uncontrollably with something close to panic.”
meant to leave him for good.”
“Daniel, calm down.” Sophie had chased him back home, panting as she caught his arm. A faint, hidden satisfaction glimmered in her eyes. She’s just throwing a tantrum. Women do this all the time. Divorce papers, moving out–it’s all just to get you to coax her back.”
Daniel spun around, glaring at her. “Coax her? She’s cleared out the entire house–and ruined my deal!”
“That just means she cares,” Sophie said with syrupy sweetness, patting his chest. “Think about it. If she didn’t care, why go to all that trouble? She must be jealous because you’ve been spending more time with me. This is her way of forcing you to back down.”
Leaning closer, her fingertip traced along the hard line of his jaw. “You can’t indulge her now. The more you chase her, the more she’ll push. Trust me–ignore her for a few days. When her anger fades and she realizes she can’t live without you, she’ll come crawling back. Then you can set the terms, and remind her who’s really in charge here.”
Daniel’s fists tightened until his knuckles whitened. Sophie’s words, twisted though they were, gave his scrambled thoughts a warped sense of logic.”
Yes–Claire loved him too much to leave for good. She must be waiting for him to relent, just like before.
He drew a long breath, forcing down the panic, his eyes hardening with obsessive certainty. “You’re right. I can’t indulge her.”
Sophie watched him swallow the bait, a cold smile tugging at her lips. Stepping back, she discreetly pulled out her phone and blocked Claire’s number–she had no intention of giving that woman any way back in.
