CHAPTER 115 STONY HEART

Claire, with her intelligence and her ruthlessness, could easily turn the tables on him, and he knew it. He was a man divided, his heart a battleground between reason and regret. He remembered the way Claire had looked at him when he had reprimanded her, her eyes a stormy sea of emotion. The passion they had shared had been a flame that burned too hot, too fast, but he couldn't help but wonder if, in his haste, he had extinguished something that could never be rekindled. Ethan's mind was a kaleidoscope of memories, each one sharp and vivid as a splinter beneath his skin. He remembered Emily’s laughter as they had roasted marshmallows around the campfire, Claire’s smile as she had let him steal a taste of the melting sweetness. In that moment, he had believed that they could be a family, that they could build something together. And now? Now, he was alone in his office, the walls closing in on him as surely as if they were alive. Ethan's throat felt tight, his chest heavy with a w