"Forgive me for dragging you into all this on your first day hanging out with me," Clara said, her voice tinged with regret.
Aric just shook his head, a smile playing on his lips. "No worries. It's actually quite an adventure for me."
"You handled yourself so well earlier. So calm but...," Clara's voice trailed off, her eyes sparkling with an unvoiced question.
Noticing her hesitation, Aric lifted an eyebrow, signaling her to continue.
"But how? How did you know all of that, Aric?" she finally asked, her curiosity winning.
At her question, Aric felt a flutter of unease. He had been dreading this the moment someone would dig too deep. Luckily, Yara had armed him with a believable excuse beforehand.
"Uh... Well..."
His evident discomfort made Clara chuckle gently. "Hey, if it's meant to be a secret, that's fine."
