Chapter 16
Clara noticed Selina’s c
car in the parking lot. She opened the passenger door, leaned inside, and caught a quick look at someone in the back seat.
Not wanting to be rude, she didn’t linger on the person, assuming Selina would introduce them when the moment came. Once she was in and had her seatbelt on, Selina stayed silent.
A familiar voice came from the back seat “Did you rest well, Clara?
Clara jerked her head up. She checked the rearview mirror and saw a face she knew all too well–Damon.
They’d only been apart for a day, but he looked completely drained like he hadn’t slept in ages. Even so, his gaze was steady and unwavering.
For a second, a dozen words crowded Clara’s mind, but she had no idea where to start. In the end, she said nothing. The car fell into silence,
A moment later, Selina picked up on the tension. She glanced at Clara, then quicldy tried to smooth things over.
“Clare, this is your classmate Damon Croft. You remember him, right? He just got in from the airport and gave me a call to catch up. Since you two were In the same class in college, I thought we could all grab a bite. You don’t mind, do you?
Actually, Clara wasn’t okay with it. But since Selina had no clue what was going on between them, she had to keep it together.
Forcing a casual smile, she said, “Whatever you’ve got planned is fine, Selina. I’m just a little dizzy from the jet lag, that’s all ”
Selina nodded, signaling Clara to take her time, then turned to Damon, “Damon, you good? Would you rather get some rest first and meet up later?”
Damon hadn’t slept in over 30 hours but knew this wasn’t the time to rest.
He shook his head. “No, it’s fine.”
“Let’s grab a bite first. I’ve already booked a table. You two didn’t exactly spend a lot of time together in college, huh? Who would’ve thought you’d run into each other by chance here in Falverton after graduation.”
By chance?
Clara kept her head down but could feel Damon’s gaze burning into her back. She knew exactly why he was here.
d by
She was a nobody, yet she’d had the nerve to ask for a divorce from the CEO of Croft Group–a golden boy who’d spent his whole life surrounded 1 praise and admiration. He was probably feeling frustrated about it.
Clara shut her eyes and rubbed her temples, bracing herself for whatever was coming next,
Meanwhile, Selina and Damon continued their conversation
“It wasn’t exactly by chance” Damon said. “I came to Falverton for something important, so running into Clara was bound to happen.”
The way he said it made it seem like he and Clara were close. But from how Clara was acting, it looked like they barely knew each other. The whole thing had Selina a bit confused.
“So you’re here specifically to see Clara? Have you two kept in touch much since graduation? Are you close?”
Not really,” Clara replied before Damon could answer.
Damon’s expression darkened, and he pressed his lips together.
“Well, you were classmates for four years.” Selina said. “Even though you two aren’t that close right now, the more time you spend together, the better you’ll get to know each other.
“Anyway, Damon, are you in Amethria for work? Did you come alone? Didn’t you bring your family? I heard you married one of your old classmates.” Clara’s heart started pounding, and she instinctively clenched her fists.
A few seconds later, Damon’s slightly hoarse voice broke the silence. “Yeah. But not long ago, she asked me for a divorce. I’m here in Amethria to sort it
Selina hadn’t expected her casual question to dig into something so personal. The awkwardness hit instantly.
Clara had no interest in dragging out the conversation, so she jumped in again, steering things in a different direction.
“Selina, did you book an Aethrian restaurant for today, or somewhere with our home cuisine? How much farther is it? I haven’t eaten anything since I woke up, and I’m starving.”
Selina shot Clare a grateful look and picked up on the hint right away. “It’s an Amethrian restaurant, just a few hundred yards away. We’re almost there
