Claire's POV
My heart pounded wildly, and I couldn't tell if it was from anger, nervousness, or something else altogether. I couldn't shake the warmth I had felt when Evander held me close; his arms were strong and steady around me. He had come to me after realizing I was in trouble.
It felt strange seeing him like this. He was always so composed, always dressed in his pristine suits, never once leaving his mansion without that polished armor. But here he was, standing in my small apartment in casual clothes, looking nothing like the distant, controlled man I had once known.
Why? Why did he care so much? He could have ignored me or sent someone else, the way he always had in the past. But instead, he showed up himself, and I couldn't make sense of it. My heart beat even faster, as if it understood something I couldn't admit to myself.
