CLAIRE
The next few days passed in a strange blur, somewhere between slow and fast, like I was watching my life happen from a distance.
The news cycle continued without me, reporters still called but I didn't answer, my lawyer handled everything while I tried to focus on what I could control. My business.
Orders kept coming in steadily, not explosively but consistently, two hundred and thirty-seven became three hundred, then three fifty, then four hundred.
Nina called every day with updates, shipments going out, customers leaving reviews, everything running smoothly.
I threw myself into work, designing new pieces, planning the next collection, responding to customer messages personally. It was easier than thinking about my father or Ethan or any of them.
Julian watched me carefully d
