Chapter 242

• Nathan's pov
• The moment the bathroom door clicked shut behind us, I knew I wasn’t going to let her go this time. Claire leaned against the sink, her hand brushing back a strand of hair, and when her eyes met mine in the mirror, something snapped inside me. The whole night she had been in control—calm, commanding, untouchable. But here, away from the flashing cameras and probing questions, she looked like my Claire again. The one I knew before the empire, before the walls she built to keep everyone at a distance, including me.
• I stepped closer, slowly, deliberately. Her lips parted slightly, almost like she was about to tell me to stop, but she didn’t. I reached out, brushing my fingers against her cheek, down to her jaw, tracing the line I’d memorized years ago.