Chapter 121

Theo's POV Her words crashed over me like waves against stone, each syllable carrying the weight of a revelation that made my chest constrict with sudden understanding. Daisy. The confusion in my mind cleared instantly as the pieces fell into place with devastating clarity—Claire had seen us together, had witnessed something that she'd interpreted as betrayal, had been carrying this pain in silence while I'd been desperately trying to reach her. "Claire, wait," I said urgently, but she was already retreating into her apartment, the door swinging closed between us like a physical manifestation of the distance that had been growing for weeks. "Please, just let me explain." My hand shot out to catch the door before it could close completely, the same motion Adrian had made moments earlier, though my intentions came from protection rather than possession. The irony wasn't lost on me—I was standing in the same hallway where I'd just threatened my son for refusing to accept rejection, and no