CLAIRE

"Me too," Julian admitted. "I'm still scared, but I'm not running from this, I'm not running from you."

We stood like that for a long moment, holding each other, finally, Julian pulled back slightly. "My lawyer suggested something," he said.

"What?" I asked.

"A brief public statement," Julian explained. "Nothing detailed, just acknowledging that we're aware of the situation with my father and asking for privacy as the legal process unfolds."

"That makes sense," I said.

"And we address our relationship," Julian continued carefully. "Not everything, just enough to stop the speculation."

I tensed slightly. "What would we say?" I asked.

"The truth," Julian replied. "That we're married, that...