Chapter 175

Inside the car, Claire saw everything unfold. The moment Nelson Cooper's tall frame swayed a bit, her heart skipped a beat. She instantly turned to look his way, almost reaching for the door handle without thinking, wanting to check on him. But just as her fingers touched the door, she stopped. Her gaze stayed locked on the figure not far away, hands frozen in place. She'd made things clear to Nelson before. No point adding to anybody's mess. Even if she was worried—or worse, hurting—it wasn't her place anymore. So she stayed put, silently sent a message to Dominic about Nelson's condition, and then just sat there, watching it all unfold like an outsider. A moment later, Nelson straightened up a little, still leaning on the car. His back looked unsteady, his head slightly lowered toward the pavement. He didn't move, just stood there like a statue—strong-looking, but fragile around the edges. After what felt like ages, he finally straightened up fully and walked off without a glance bac