Page 80 of Click of Fate

Claire opens her mouth, but Ray keeps going.

“You need to back the fuck off, Claire. And I mean that in the kindest way. Luke has told you where he stands. Stop pretending you haven’t heard him.”

My jaw tightens, but I don’t interrupt. This is long overdue.

Claire swallows, visibly stunned. “I’m not trying to cause trouble…”

“You’re not causing trouble,” Ray cuts in. “You’re just refusing to accept that the door’s closed. And while I respect your hustle, it’s starting to look a lot like denial.”

She stands there for a beat, blinking like she can’t quite believe someone finally said it out loud.

Ray exhales. “You’re smart. Ambitious. You’ll land somewhere else and crush it. But it won’t be here. And it won’t be with my nephew.”

Silence.

Claire nods once, slowly. “Okay.”

Ray turns to me. “You good?”

“Yeah,” I say, voice a little rough. “Thanks, Ray.”

He nods. “Call me tomorrow. We’ll finish the numbers. And maybe grab a beer over FaceTime.”

Before I can respond, he ends the call.

Claire crosses her arms and leans her hip against the chair in front of my desk. “He always did like you more.”

“I am his nephew,” I say, deadpan.

She smiles and playfully rolls her eyes. “Semantics.”

I stop her banter in its tracks. “He likes people who listen.”

She sighs. “I heard him. I heard you, too. I guess I just hoped…” Her eyes search my face. “There’s really nothing left? Between us?”

“No,” I say gently but firmly. “There’s not.”

She nods again, quieter this time. Accepting it, finally. I hope.

“Is it the photographer?”

“It’s not that simple,” I say, rubbing the back of my neck. “Things are… complicated.”

Claire huffs a soft laugh. “Aren’t they always.”

She moves to the door, but pauses before stepping through. “Look, we made a lot of mistakes—you and I, went it came to us. Pushing too hard, holding on too long. Waiting until it was too late. But if there’s even a sliver of something there with her, don’t let it go just because it’s hard.”

I meet her eyes. There’s no heat left, no anger. Just… truth.

“I’ll think about it.”

She offers a faint smile. “Good.”

And then, finally, Claire walks out. No dramatics. No parting jab.

Just the soft click of the door behind her.

And for the first time since she came back, the air feels clear again.

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