Chapter 73

• The rain had started sometime after sundown. At first it was a low tapping against the windows, then a sudden sweep of wind that rattled the glass. By the time Claudia arrived, soaked from the knees down and wrapped in an oversized coat, it had turned into a full downpour. The kind of rain that came without pause. No breaks between drops. Just constant, urgent sound.
• We were back at the boutique. The lights overhead were dimmed to a softer yellow. The main floor was quiet, cleared of customers and distractions. It was the only place that still felt mine. Even now, after everything, it felt like stepping into a version of myself I could still recognize.
• Claudia shook off her coat, hung it near the door, and slipped into the back room where I had already spread out the files. Her hair clung to the side of her face, and her boots squished when she walked. But she didn’t complain. She just gave me a look that said, Let’s get through this.