Chapter 32

Claire's POV "Coffee, black," I managed to tell Raye, my voice sounding steadier than I felt. "Thank you." "The same for me," Theo added, his tone carefully controlled. As Raye bustled away to prepare our drinks, I quickly moved to one of the leather seats furthest from where Theo stood, making a show of checking my phone and organizing the papers in my briefcase. Anything to avoid looking at him directly. The awkward tension from our interrupted moment hung in the air like a heavy fog. I could feel Theo's presence across the cabin, but I refused to acknowledge it, keeping my gaze fixed determinedly on my work documents even though the words blurred together meaninglessly. When Raye returned with our coffee, I accepted mine with a grateful smile and immediately busied myself with adding sugar, stirring, checking emails on my phone—any activity that would keep me from having to engage with Theo beyond the most basic professional necessities. He had taken a seat at the opposite end of th