Claire hesitated for a moment, her lips pressing into a thin line. A shadow seemed to pass over her features, and she looked away briefly, as though deciding how much to reveal.
"A lot," she finally said, her voice tinged with bitterness. "But that's a story for another day."
Emma studied Claire's face, sensing there was much more to the story than Claire was willing to share.
She considered pressing further but decided against it, understanding the limits of their newfound friendship.
"It must've been bad," she murmured.
Claire nodded, her expression neutral now, though her eyes glinted with a mix of pain and resolve.
"It was."
She gave Emma a small smile, trying to lift the weight of the moment. "But you don't need to carry that burden. Let it go, Emma. Margaret made her choices, just like Jake did. Their situation isn't your fault. We didn't even lock him up because of what he did to you. It was because he embezzled company's funds."
