CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE - Second Chances

Over plates of steaming pasta and glasses of red wine, their conversation gradually shifted from work to more personal topics. "Can I ask you something?" Claire said, twirling pasta around her fork. "What happened with your last relationship? If you don't mind talking about it, that is." Mason took a sip of wine, considering his answer. "It's okay. It was about two years ago. Her name was Olivia, and she was brilliant – a neuroscientist working on brain-computer interfaces. We met at a conference and hit it off immediately." "What went wrong?" Claire asked softly. Mason's eyes grew distant. "We were both so focused on our careers. Always chasing the next breakthrough, the next big project. We thought we could balance it all, but in the end, there wasn't enough room for an actual relationship. We became more like colleagues than partners." Claire nodded, understanding all too well. "That's always the challenge, isn't it? Finding that balance between personal and professional life."