Chapter 87 87

Chapter 87 87
"You ran into who?" Raymond and Sophia both chorused in shock, their voices rising in perfect unison.

I had just finished telling them about my encounter with Clara earlier that morning, and their reactions were exactly what I'd expected. Shock, disbelief, and a healthy dose of protective anger on my behalf.

"To think she even had the effrontery to talk to you after everything she did beats me," Sophia said, shaking her head in disbelief. "I mean, what kind of person does that? What kind of shameless, and audacious person just shows up and tries to act like nothing happened?"

Raymond still looked like he couldn't believe his ears. He was pacing back and forth in the living room, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. "This is unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable."

He stopped pacing and turned to face me. "Sis, should we get her arrested for harassment? Or better still, get a restraining order against her?” He asked with all urgency and my eyes widened.

Seeing my reaction, he continued, unbothered by my shock. “Yes, I mean it, because Claire, she can't just keep showing up like this. What if she tries something worse next time?"

Sophia nodded vigorously in agreement. "Raymond is right. You need to protect yourself. That silly girl clearly has no boundaries, and no sense of shame. She is probably dangerous."

"I don't know if she's dangerous exactly," I said, though even as the words left my mouth, I wasn't entirely sure they were true. "She's just... desperate, I think. Maybe she is just desperate to justify what she did, or maybe desperate to clear her conscience."

"Or desperate to cause more trouble, seeing as what they did to you didn't break you beyond repair." Raymond countered, his expression stern.

"Look sis, people like that don't just show up out of nowhere without a reason. She said Liam was looking for you, right? What if she's helping him? What if this is all part of some new stupid scheme?"

The thought had occurred to me, of course. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't spent the entire drive home wondering about Clara's true motives for approaching me at that restaurant. Yes, we ran into each other, and she could have just decided to walk away, but no, she decided to poke me.

"Look, I don't want to think about Clara or Liam right now," I said, rubbing my temples. "It's been a long day and I just want to forget about them."

"But you can't just forget about them if they're actively looking for you," Sophia insisted. "You need to have a plan. You need to be prepared."

"I am prepared," I assured them. "And honestly, I'm just grateful that Wilson showed up when he did. If he hadn't been there, I don't know how that confrontation with Clara would have ended."

Raymond and Sophia exchanged confused glances at the mention of Wilson's name.

"Wilson?" Raymond repeated, his brow furrowing. "That name sounds familiar. Where have I heard it before?"

"It does sound familiar," Sophia agreed, tilting her head as she tried to place it.

I watched them both, my eyebrows raised as they struggled to remember. "Are you serious right now? You don't remember Wilson?"

"Wilson... Wilson..." Raymond muttered, tapping his finger against his chin. "Why can't I place that name?"

Then suddenly, Sophia snapped her fingers as the realization hit her like a bolt of lightning. "Wait! The hospital! The man who saved you from those attackers in the Dead Zone!"

Raymond's eyes widened as he caught on at the same moment. "Don't tell me..." His voice trailed off, looking at me for confirmation.

I nodded. "Yes, it's the same Wilson. The one who saved me two weeks ago."

Sophia's mouth fell open. "You're kidding. Please tell me you're kidding."

"I'm not kidding," I said, unable to help the small smile that crossed my face at their reactions.

"It's safe to say he's your knight in shining armor," Sophia said, a teasing note entering her voice despite her earlier concern. "Because how else do you explain that he saved you again? What are the odds?"

"Pretty astronomical, I'd say," Raymond added, though his tone was more suspicious than amused. "Claire, how did this happen? How did your paths cross again?"

I gave them a brief summary of the morning's events. How I had arrived at the restaurant for my meeting with Jennifer, how I'd bumped into Clara, how Wilson had mysteriously appeared at exactly the right moment and helped me escape the confrontation. I explained how he'd posed as my boyfriend to get Clara to back off, and how he'd then insisted on accompanying me to view the office properties despite having his own plans for the day.

By the time I finished, Raymond's expression had shifted from curious to deeply uncomfortable.

"Claire," he said slowly, his voice taking on that protective tone I knew all too well. "Don't you think you're trusting this guy a little too quickly?" He asked, pretty much concerned.

"What do you mean?" I inquired, though I had a feeling I knew exactly where this conversation was heading to.

"I mean, you barely know this guy," Raymond pointed out. "You've met him exactly twice, both times under dramatic circumstances. And now you're letting him accompany you to look at properties for the company? That's a lot of trust to place in basically a stranger." He stated, his expression hinting at his displeasure.

"He's not a stranger," I protested, and he raised his eyebrows. "I mean not anymore. He saved my life, Raymond. Twice, if you count today."

"And I'm grateful for that. We really are," Raymond said again. "But that doesn't mean you should just open up your life to him. You don't know anything about this guy. Where he works, where he lives, or what his real intentions are."

Sophia nodded, her earlier teasing replaced by genuine concern. "Raymond has a point, Claire. I know he seems nice, and obviously he's been helpful, but you need to be careful. After everything you've been through with Liam and... well, with everything, you can't afford to be too trusting."

"I'm not being too trusting," I said defensively. "I'm being appropriately grateful to someone who has helped me not once but twice on different occasions. That's just it."

"Is it though?" Raymond pressed. "Because from what you're telling us, it sounds like you're spending a lot of time with this guy. Having him pretend to be your boyfriend, letting him sit in on your business meeting, and accepting his help at every turn. That's more than just being grateful, Claire."

I felt my cheeks heat up. "What are you trying to say, Raymond?"

"I'm trying to say that I hope you're not developing feelings for him," Raymond said bluntly. "Because that would be a mistake. You don't even know this man. You don't know if you can trust him. And jumping into something romantic right now, especially after everything you've been through, would be a terrible idea."

"I'm not developing feelings for him," I said, perhaps a bit too quickly. "Trust me, the last thing I want right now is a relationship. After Liam, Tyler, and after all of it, I'm done with any romantic relationship. Wilson and I can only be friends. That's it. Nothing more."

"Does Wilson know that?" Sophia asked gently. "Have you made it clear to him that friendship is all you're interested in?"

I paused, realizing I hadn't actually had that conversation with Wilson. "Well, no, but he hasn't said anything about wanting more either. We've only met twice, and both times it was by coincidence. It's not like we're dating or anything."

"Yet," Raymond muttered, and I frowned.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I demanded, still frowning.

"It means that things have a way of developing," Raymond explained honestly. "Today he is your fake boyfriend to help you out of an awkward situation. And then he is accompanying you to business meetings. Next week, maybe you'd be having dinner together. Before you know it, feelings get involved and everything gets complicated."

"That's not going to happen," I insisted firmly.

"You can't know that for sure," Sophia said. "Claire, we're just trying to look out for you. You need to be careful. You need to protect yourself, not just from people like Clara and Liam, but from anyone who might take advantage of your vulnerability right now."

"But he isn't taking advantage of me," I protested.

"Maybe not intentionally," Raymond said, tiredly. "But Claire, you have to admit, it's convenient. He shows up at exactly the right moments, plays the hero, gets close to you. And you're grateful, maybe even charmed by it. That's how these things start."

"These things?" I repeated. "What things?"