CHAPTER 40 REUNION

Madeline turned on her heel, storming out of the room without a backward glance. The door slammed behind her, the sound of it reverberating through the air, hanging like a threat. Ethan stood there for a moment, his mind reeling with the events of the past few hours, a dull ache settling in his chest. He sighed, his shoulders slumping with the weight of everything that had happened, everything that he had done. The morning sunlight filtered through the glass doors of the hotel, casting a warm glow over Claire’s face as she stepped out into the fresh air. The world felt different today, alive with possibility. She took a deep breath, savoring the crispness of the morning, her mind still reeling with the events of the night before. Her encounter with Ethan, his gentle touch, his warm embrace, had awakened something inside of her, something she had long since buried beneath the surface. Claire approached the address Blake had given her, her heart pounding in her chest. This was it.