Chapter 14

Claire's POV I noticed the change in Theo immediately after he ended his phone call. As he returned to the driver's seat, his brows were deeply furrowed, fingers tapping anxiously against the steering wheel. The earlier heat between us had cooled, replaced by a distracted tension. "Is something wrong?" I asked tentatively, studying his profile. "Family matters," he replied, the vagueness of his answer creating a wall between us. His distant response left me feeling disappointed. After the way he'd defended me against Nicole, after the electricity that had sparked between us moments earlier, this sudden withdrawal stung more than it should have. At the hotel, Theo maintained a careful professional distance, showing me to the suite's bathroom with assurances that fresh clothes would arrive soon. The door clicked shut behind me, leaving me alone with my thoughts and a luxury bathroom larger than my entire apartment. The hot water felt like heaven as it washed away the sticky wine residue