Chapter 7: The Uninvited Arrival
Autumn turned the coastal pines a deep bronze. Clara had settled into a steady routine: morning coffee at the corner bakery, drafting during the daylight hours, and evening walks along the seawall.
On a blustery Tuesday afternoon, as Clara exited the site office, she saw a familiar dark sedan parked near the docks. Julian stood beside it, wearing a tailored wool coat that looked entirely out of place against the backdrop of rusted cranes and salty spray.
Clara stopped in her tracks. Her heart gave a sudden, instinctual jolt, but the overwhelming panic she used to feel was absent.
Julian approached slowly, his hands in his pockets. He looked thinner, the polished composure he once wore so effortlessly replaced by a visible weariness.
""Clara,"" he said softly.
""Julian,"" she replied, keeping a measured distance between them. ""How did you find me?""
""Your former mentor at the university,"" Julian admitted. ""Clara, please. Just ten minutes. That's all I'm asking.""
May you like
Clara looked around the quiet harbor, then pointed toward a nearby bench sheltered from the sea wind. ""Ten minutes.""
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