Chapter 10 - THE DINNER THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING|
Roman's invitation remained open.
Claire accepted it on a Friday evening, three weeks after the gala.
She chose a small restaurant overlooking the river, one where the tables were far enough apart to allow a private conversation without making the evening feel staged.
Roman arrived on time.
He wore a dark sweater instead of a suit, and for once, he looked like someone who had stepped away from his office rather than carried it into the room.
“You came,” he said.
“I said I might.”
“I've learned not to treat 'might' as a contract.”
Claire laughed.
The sound felt unfamiliar.
They ordered dinner and spoke about things that had nothing to do with Ethan, Northstar, or the disputed loan. Roman told her about his first job in a failing hotel, where he had worked overnight shifts while studying finance.
“I was terrible at it,” he admitted.
“Hospitality?”
“People. I thought solving problems was the same as understanding them.”
“What changed?”
“Someone told me that a spreadsheet can show why a business is failing, but it can't tell you why the people inside it have stopped caring.”
Claire smiled.
“That sounds like an expensive lesson.”
“It was.”
She told him about starting C.W. Atelier with borrowed equipment and a handful of clients. She described the satisfaction of watching a complicated event unfold exactly as planned.
“I like creating something that makes people feel welcome,” she said. “Even if they never know how much work went into it.”
Roman listened without interrupting.
When she finished, he said, “You built something that lasts because you care about the details.”
Claire looked down at her glass.
“Ethan used to say I cared too much about details.”
“Then he was wrong.”
The simplicity of the statement made her throat tighten.
She had spent years waiting for Ethan to recognize her work. Roman offered the recognition without asking her to shrink, explain, or apologize.
That frightened her.
“I'm not ready for a relationship,” she said.
Roman nodded.
“I didn't invite you here to ask for one.”
“Then why did you?”
“Because I enjoy talking to you.”
She studied him.
“You could have said that at the office.”
“You would have accused me of turning a meeting into a business proposal.”
“I still might.”
He smiled.
They finished dinner slowly.
When Roman walked her to her car, he stopped several feet away.
“May I see you again?”
Claire considered the question.
“Yes. But slowly.”
“Slowly is fine.”
She drove home feeling lighter than she had in months.
The next morning, however, the investigation took an unexpected turn.
Roman's compliance team had discovered that Northstar's payments were connected to a redevelopment project in which Vale Meridian held a financial interest. The disputed loan guarantee had been used to support a chain of transactions involving multiple companies.
One company was controlled by a Crowe family trust.
Another was linked to Eleanor Crowe.
A third had previously been managed by Roman's former business partner, Victor Shaw.
Claire stared at the report.
“Victor Shaw? Isn't he the man who left Vale Meridian five years ago?”
Roman nodded.
“He left after an internal dispute.”
“Was there an investigation?”
“Yes. We found accounting irregularities, but not enough evidence to establish who was responsible. He resigned before the review was completed.”
“Does he have anything to do with Northstar?”
“We're investigating.”
Claire looked at the transaction dates.
The earliest suspicious payment had occurred months before her engagement ended.
This wasn't a scheme created out of jealousy or a sudden breakup.
It had been developing while she was still planning a future with Ethan.
Roman's expression darkened.
“If Victor is involved, the issue is larger than the Crowes.”
Claire looked at him.
“Then we follow the evidence.”
He nodded.
But neither of them noticed the figure watching from a parked car across the street.
The person took a photograph of Claire leaving Roman's building.
Then sent it to Ethan Crowe.
May you like
The message contained only six words.
She's becoming a problem for everyone.
