Chapter 131

Claire's POV As I made my way through VM Group's parking garage, my mind still buzzing with the day's breakthrough calculations. The project was progressing beyond even my most optimistic projections, each successful trial bringing us closer to revolutionizing werewolf neurological treatment. My research bag felt lighter despite being stuffed with papers and data drives—success had a way of making even the heaviest burdens seem manageable. I was fishing for my car keys when movement in my peripheral vision made me freeze mid-step. Across the street, visible through the garage's open-air design, was the small outdoor café that had become popular with local business professionals. The warm glow of string lights created an intimate atmosphere among the scattered tables, and it was there, at a corner table partially hidden by a decorative planter, that I saw something that made me stop in my tracks. Adrian and Nicole, sitting together at an outdoor café. I instinctively stepped behind a co