Chapter 61

Claire's POV The remainder of dinner felt like an eternity. After Theo's blunt declaration that he would "never marry again," the atmosphere at our table had become strained despite everyone's efforts to maintain normal conversation. I could feel his eyes on me periodically, could sense him trying to gauge my reaction to his words, but I kept my expression carefully neutral and focused on my plate. When Raquel returned from her brief absence, she seemed to sense the shift in mood immediately. Her cheerful demeanor faltered slightly as she took in the tense body language around the table, but she was too polite to comment directly on whatever had transpired in her absence. "You know what," Theo said suddenly, his voice carrying that authoritative tone he used when making executive decisions, "I think Claire is getting tired. It's been a long day, and we should probably head back to the villa." I wanted to protest that I was perfectly fine, that I didn't need him making decisions about m