Chapter 207

• Claire's pov
• I didn’t expect Olivia to knock on my door again so soon after the earlier awkwardness, but there she was, standing with her hands clasped in front of her like a schoolgirl about to admit she’d broken a vase. She peeked into my room before stepping in fully, her eyes darting around as if she were checking for an audience.
• “Claire,” she began, her voice softer than before, “I owe you an apology for the way I spoke earlier. I… I wasn’t prepared to see you here. Nobody told me you’d be joining the family celebration, and it caught me off guard.”