JULIAN

I got home around seven PM. Claire was in the kitchen when I walked in, and she looked up from what she was doing. "Hey," she said, setting down a wooden spoon.

"Hey," I replied.

She wiped her hands on a towel and crossed the apartment. We didn't say anything else. She just held me, her arms wrapped around my waist.

I stood there breathing, letting the tension from the day drain out of me. After a minute, she pulled back. "You won," she said.

"The board voted," I confirmed. "Eight to three. Adrian's offer is rejected."

Claire smiled, and it was genuine, full of real happiness. "Come eat,"...