Chapter 196

• Third person pov
• Claire had been up since dawn, her mind already buzzing with fabric swatches, print choices, and accessory pairings before the first sip of coffee touched her lips. The collaboration was important — more important than she’d admit to anyone, especially Nathan. It wasn’t just about expanding her fashion line; it was about proving to herself that she could build something without leaning on anyone else’s name or influence.
• She dressed with quiet precision, slipping into cream trousers and a pale blue blouse, her hair swept up in a knot that looked casual but had taken three tries to get right. Her phone sat on the kitchen counter, screen lighting up with a steady trickle of messages from the design house she was partnering with. The final samples were ready for pickup, and she needed to approve them in person before shipping deadlines locked everything in.