Chapter 4 — Unspoken Truths Revealed

James

The room was a shadowed cocoon, lit only by the faint, golden glow of the bedside lamp. James sat on the edge of the bed in his hotel suite, the envelope resting on his lap like a fragile relic. It had been years since Claire had handed it to him, and yet its presence tonight felt as heavy as the night she’d walked out of his life. His fingers brushed over her handwriting—elegant, deliberate strokes of black ink spelling out his name. Even now, the sight of her neat script made his chest tighten, his breath catching in his throat.