Chapter 224

Claire's POV The next day, I insisted on going to work despite feeling completely drained. "Claire, didn't sleep well last night? You look exhausted," Lily said, approaching my desk. I was still trapped in yesterday's nightmare, and my work performance was suffering badly. "Insomnia," I replied simply. Lily teased, "You don't have a boyfriend, so what's keeping you up at night?" "I'm losing sleep because I don't have a boyfriend," I joked, not wanting to reveal anything about my personal situation. Lily rested her chin on her palm, then leaned closer to me. "Alpha Cyrus seems to like you. He comes to see you quite often. I think he's interested." I immediately clarified, "He just appreciates talent. If anything, we're just friends." Lily rolled her eyes. "I've worked under Alpha Cyrus for years and never received any 'appreciation.'" I laughed. "Then maybe you should work harder." Joey arrived then, asking, "What are you two gossiging about?" "We're discussing Alpha Cyrus's 'appreciati