CLAIRE
I stood on the terrace, the cool night air settling my nerves as I looked out at the city lights stretching endlessly before me.
Tonight had gone well, better than well, actually. I'd met investors, business owners, people who seemed genuinely interested in my brand. Richard Lewis had taken my card and promised to send it to his daughter. A woman who ran a boutique consulting firm had asked about wholesale opportunities.
Real connections, real possibilities, and more importantly, Ethan and Vanessa hadn't been here. I didn't know if they hadn't been invited or if they'd chosen not to come, but either way, I was grateful for their absence.
The last time I'd been at an event like this, it had been Ethan's engagement party, and I'd been there for revenge, wearing Julian's ring like
