Chapter 25 - THE MAN WHO DIDN'T NEED TO BE SAVED
Claire met Daniel Mercer six months later.
He was an architect working on the foundation's expansion.
He was divorced.
He had a teenage son.
And unlike nearly every man Claire had known during the years surrounding Adrian, Daniel never seemed impressed by her money.
Their first dinner lasted forty minutes.
Their second lasted two hours.
Their third ended when Daniel said something Claire had not heard in years.
“You don't have to explain why you're successful.”
Claire looked at him.
“What?”
“You keep telling me what you built before telling me what you want.”
She smiled.
“Maybe I don't know what I want.”
“That's okay.”
There was no pressure in his voice.
No demand.
No expectation.
Claire realized how unfamiliar that felt.
Months passed.
They became friends.
Then something more.
But Claire moved slowly.
She refused to build another relationship on fear.
One evening, Daniel asked her:
“Are you waiting for me to prove I won't hurt you?”
Claire thought about it.
“No.”
“What are you waiting for?”
She smiled.
“For me to believe that if you do, I'll still be okay.”
Daniel nodded.
“That's a much better answer.”
And for Claire, that was the beginning.
Not a rescue.
Not a replacement for Adrian.
May you like
A choice.
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