CHAPTER SEVENTY-SIX - The Aftermath

"Mom?" she said when the call connected, her voice breaking. "Can I come stay with you and Dad for a while? I... I need some time to think." As she listened to her mother's concerned voice, Claire felt a mix of grief and relief wash over her. She didn't know what the future held, didn't know if her relationship with Mason could be salvaged. But she knew one thing for certain: she couldn't keep living in limbo. It was time to put herself first, to remember who she was outside of Mason and Universe X. It was time to find Claire again. As she began to pack a bag, Claire felt a strange sense of calm settle over her. Whatever happened next, she would face it on her own terms. She loved Mason, but she loved herself too. And sometimes, love meant having the courage to walk away, even if just for a while. Mason sat at the head of the long mahogany table in Universe X's main boardroom, his fingers drumming an anxious rhythm on the polished surface. The room was silent, tension thick in the