CHAPTER 118 AN UNEXPECTED DISCOVERY

The air felt suffocating, each breath an exercise in maintaining her composure. Her voice quivered ever so slightly, as she continued her presentation, desperate to hide the maelstrom within. The room seemed to spin, the figures on the screen before her a blur of numbers and charts. And yet, despite the storm raging in her heart, Claire carried on, navigating the board’s questions with a grace that belied her inner turmoil. She felt a bead of sweat trickle down her temple, but she did not falter. Then, the meeting came to a close, and with it, the walls of her composure began to crumble. She could feel Ethan’s eyes on her as she gathered her things, his gaze a silent plea for her forgiveness. But she could not afford to be weak. Not now. With a curt nod to her colleagues, she all but fled the conference room. Her steps quickened as she made her way to the nearest bathroom, her breath coming in short, sharp gasps. She stumbled into a stall, the cool porcelain of the toilet a repri