Claire explained that she had overheard one of those conversations when Daniel accidentally took the call on speaker while searching through files.
His mother was not asking how Rachel was recovering.
She was not checking whether the woman who saved her son was healing.
She was talking about what Rachel’s injuries meant for Daniel’s public life.
The agency dinners.
The client events.
The photographs where Daniel had always brought his beautiful wife beside him.
Claire remembered one sentence clearly.
“You can’t keep pretending nothing has changed.”
Daniel had not defended Rachel.
He had not reminded his mother what Rachel had sacrificed for him.
He had only asked, “What am I supposed to do?”
And his mother had given him an answer Rachel never expected.
“Start separating your life from hers.”
Rachel looked down la ashbi at the arm that had reached through fire to save Daniel.
The same arm now covered in healing scars.
Then Claire revealed something else.
Daniel’s week-long client trip had never existed on the agency calendar.
It was not a business emergency.
It was not work.
