Chapter 26

Julian turned slightly, lowering his gaze, and said gently to Claire, “I heard someone questioning your innocence, and I might’ve spoken up without asking you first. Hope I didn’t cause you any trouble.” Claire steadied her emotions, caught off guard by his thoughtfulness. “...I should be the one apologizing for dragging you into this, Mr. Archer.” “Need me to clear things up for you?” “...Thank you, that’d be a big help.” She forced herself to keep calm. He was already standing up for her — turning him down would just seem ungrateful. The socialites nearby were about to swoon. A guy who looked like *that*, still being this respectful and refined? Just hearing him speak softly with his eyes lowered was enough to make hearts race. Julian turned to the crowd and said, “Last night, I was the one who helped Miss Richards.” “I was meeting a client at the hotel. On my way out, I ran into Miss Richards in the hallway — she seemed disoriented. The man with her looked suspicious, so I asked the