Chapter 71

Claire's POV The moment Jennifer and I stepped into our apartment, she practically bounced on her toes with barely contained excitement. Her eyes were sparkling with curiosity, and I could tell she was dying to hear every single detail about my trip with Theo. "Okay, spill," she demanded, throwing herself onto our couch and patting the cushion beside her. "And I mean everything. Don't you dare leave out a single juicy detail." I couldn't help but laugh at her enthusiasm as I settled beside her, tucking my legs underneath me. "Where do I even start?" "Start with the obvious," Jennifer said, gesturing wildly. "You left here as Theo's secretary, and you came back looking like a woman who's been thoroughly ravished by a very powerful Alpha. So clearly, something major happened." Heat flooded my cheeks at her blunt assessment, but I couldn't deny the truth of it. I did feel different—more confident, more settled, like I'd finally found my place in the world. "We talked," I began carefully,