Chapter 85 85

Chapter 85 85
I noticed the shift in Wilson’s expression right away. The calm, and easy demeanor he'd maintained throughout the morning seemed to tighten, his jaw setting in a way that suggested whatever call this was, it wasn't a pleasant one.

"What's going on?" I asked, concern creeping into my voice. "You look worried. Is everything alright?"

Wilson glanced at the screen again before looking up at me. "It's nothing serious," he said, but I could tell he was downplaying whatever it was. "The places you need to check are more important right now. I can attend to this call later."

"Wilson, you don't have to do that," I protested, feeling guilty. "You've already done so much for me today. If you need to leave and sort things out, please do. I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" he asked, his thumb hovering over the answer button.

"Of course I'm sure," I insisted. "Really, I can handle this from here. Jennifer will be with me anyway."

Wilson looked like he was about to argue. He obviously looked like he was about to insist that he could stay despite whatever urgent matter was calling him, when a voice I'd hoped never to hear again cut through the air.

"Oh, are you two having relationship problems already?"

My entire body went rigid. I spun around to see Clara standing a few feet away, her arms crossed over her chest, that same smug expression on her face that I remembered from all those years ago. She must have been watching us this entire time, lurking somewhere nearby, waiting for an opportunity to insert herself back into my life.

"What the hell are you still doing here?" I demanded, anger flaring hot in my chest. "I thought I made it perfectly clear that I don't want anything to do with you."

"Oh, come on, Claire," Clara said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Don't be so dramatic. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. That's what old friends do, right? Look out for each other?"

"Old friends?" I repeated incredulously. “I am no friend of yours and you are definitely no friend of mine!” I snapped at her, and she raised her eyebrows unflinchingly.

I shook my head as I continued, "You know you've got some nerve calling yourself my friend after everything you did."

"What I did?" Clara's voice took on a defensive edge. "You never even gave me a chance to explain my side of things. You just disappeared, and ran away like a coward without hearing anyone out."

"I heard everything I needed to hear that night," I shot back, my voice rising despite my best efforts to stay calm. "I heard you and Liam laughing about how easy it was to fool me. I heard your disgusting plans to steal everything from me. What more explanation do I need?"

Jennifer, who had been standing quietly to the side, was looking between Clara and me with wide eyes, clearly uncomfortable with the confrontation unfolding before her.

Before I could say anything else, and before I could even tell Clara exactly what I thought of her and her pathetic attempts to justify her betrayal, Wilson stepped forward.

He positioned himself slightly in front of me, not blocking me completely but creating a clear barrier between Clara and me. His movement was smooth, protective, and when he spoke, his voice was calm but carried a coldness I hadn't heard from him before.

"I think you need to leave," Wilson said, his eyes locked on Clara.

“Clara? Or whatever your name is. You need to leave right now. You've done enough.” He repeated sternly.

Clara blinked, clearly surprised by his intervention. "Excuse me? Who do you think you are to tell me what to do?"

"I'm someone who won't tolerate any more disrespect toward Claire," Wilson replied, his tone never rising but somehow becoming even more intimidating in its steadiness. "You've said your piece. She's made it clear she doesn't want to engage with you. Now it's time for you to go."

"This is between Claire and me," Clara protested, though I noticed she'd taken a small step backward. "It has nothing to do with you."

"It has everything to do with me when the person you're harassing is Claire," Wilson countered. "You can try to justify your past actions all you want, but that doesn't give you the right to ambush her in public, make snide comments, or cause scenes outside restaurants."

Clara's face flushed red, whether from embarrassment or anger, I couldn't tell. "I wasn't causing a scene. I just wanted to talk."

"Talking requires mutual consent. It is not one-sided," Wilson stated clearly. "Claire doesn't want to talk to you. She's made that abundantly clear. So here's what is going to happen, you're going to turn around, walk away, and if you have any sense of self-preservation, you'll make sure you don't cross paths with her again."

"Are you threatening me?" Clara asked, her voice pitching higher.

"Not at all," Wilson replied smoothly. "I'm simply stating facts. If you continue this behavior, and you continue to harass her or attempt to interfere in her life, you will answer to me. And trust me when I say that's not a conversation you want to have."

The coldness in his voice with the absolute certainty in his words, sent a chill even through me, and I wasn't even the target of his warning. Clara seemed to feel it too. Her bravado crumbled, her shoulders hunching slightly as she looked away from Wilson's unwavering gaze.

"I... I was just trying to apologize," Clara mumbled, her voice much smaller now.

"Then you've apologized," Wilson said. "Now leave."

For a moment, Clara looked like she might argue further. I even thought she might try to salvage some dignity from the situation, but it was obvious that something in Wilson's expression must have convinced her that would be a very bad idea.

"Fine," she said, her voice tight. "I'm going. But Claire, you should know that Liam—"

"I don't care," I interrupted, finding my voice again. "Whatever message you're trying to deliver from Liam, I don't want to hear it. Tell him to stay the hell away from me, just like I'm telling you right now."

Clara's mouth opened and closed a few times, like a fish gasping for air. Then, without another word, she turned and hurried away, practically running back to wherever she'd been hiding.

We all stood there in silence for a moment, watching her disappear around the corner. Finally, Jennifer let out a long breath.

"Wow," she said, looking at Wilson with complete awe. "That was... that was really impressive. I wish I had a man like you who could be that protective without being aggressive. My boyfriend could never."

Wilson's expression softened, the coldness melting away as if it had never existed. "I just don't like seeing people being harassed or bullied," he said simply.

I was still processing what had just happened, still trying to reconcile the gentle, helpful Wilson from earlier with the intimidating, protective figure who had just faced down Clara. It was like seeing two different people in the same body.

"Thank you," I said quietly. "Again. You really didn't have to do that."

"Yes, I did," Wilson replied, turning to look at me. "That woman wasn't going to stop until someone made her. And besides, no one deserves to be treated the way she was treating you."

Jennifer cleared her throat gently. "Well, now that that's... resolved, shall we head to the properties? I think we could all use a change of scenery."

"Absolutely," I agreed, eager to move past the confrontation.

Wilson glanced at his phone again, the screen now dark after the missed call. "My call can wait," he decided. "Let's go see these office spaces."

"Are you sure?" I asked. "If it's important—"

"It's not more important than making sure you're okay," Wilson interrupted. "And after that encounter, I'd feel better staying with you, at least for a while longer."

I wanted to argue and tell him he didn't need to babysit me, but honestly, after seeing Clara again, I didn't want to be alone. Having Wilson there, with his calm presence and unexpected protective streak, made me feel safer.

"Okay," I said. "Thank you."

Jennifer then began to head towards her car. "I'll lead the way," she called back to us. "Like I said earlier, the first property is about ten minutes from here. Just follow behind me."

I pulled out my car keys and gestured toward my vehicle. "I guess you're riding with me then?"

"If that's alright," Wilson replied with a slight smile.

"After everything you've done today? It's more than alright." I said, smiling too.

We walked to my car and got in. As I started the engine and pulled out of the parking spot to follow Jennifer's vehicle, I couldn't help but glance over at Wilson.

"What you said to Clara back there," I began, not quite sure how to phrase what I was thinking. "That was... I've never seen anyone stand up for me like that before."

"Your brother seems pretty protective. He was ready to get me arrested the last time at the hospital." Wilson said, remembering his last encounter with Raymond.

I chuckled, “I'm still so sorry about that experience. I promise you he is not a bad person.”

“I know.” He nodded, acknowledging.

"Raymond is protective in his own way," I agreed. "But I must admit, yours was somehow different. You were calm, totally in control, but somehow you were more intimidating than if you'd yelled. How did you do that?"

Wilson shrugged. "I've just taught myself over time to learn and be good at de-escalating situations while still maintaining authority. People like your friend Clara, they respond to confidence more than aggression. If I'd gotten angry or raised my voice, she would have had ammunition to paint herself as the victim. But by staying calm and simply stating the facts, there was nothing she could argue against."

"She's not my friend," I corrected. "Not anymore. Not ever again."

"Fair enough," Wilson said. "Former friend, then."

We drove in comfortable silence for a few minutes, following Jennifer's car through the city streets. The morning traffic had picked up, but it wasn't terrible. I found myself relaxing slightly, the tension from the encounter with Clara slowly ebbing away.

"I really hope you won't be offended, but can I ask you something?" Wilson said, breaking the silence after a while.