CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FOURTEEN - The Sabotage Begins

Claire stepped back, shaking her head. "No, I think that's exactly what you meant. Go to your meeting, Mason. I won't keep you any longer." With that, she turned and walked away, leaving Mason standing alone, the weight of his words crushing down on him. As Claire retreated to their bedroom, tears stinging her eyes, she didn't notice Victor standing in the shadows of the hallway, a small, satisfied smile playing at the corners of his mouth. The next morning, Mason woke to find Claire's side of the bed empty. He found her in the kitchen, nursing a cup of coffee, her eyes red-rimmed from a sleepless night. "Claire," he began, his voice soft. "About last night—" She held up a hand, cutting him off. "Not now, Mason. I can't... I can't do this right now." Before he could respond, his phone buzzed with an urgent message from the office. Another crisis, another fire to put out. He looked at Claire, torn between his personal life and his professional obligations. "Go," she said, not mee