He leans back in his chair, swirling the whiskey in his glass. "What would you rather be doing? Living on the streets? Chasing after a man who doesn’t want to be found?"
His words hit harder than I expect.
I lower my gaze, gripping my lap under the table.
"I just want my son back," I whisper.
Richard nods. "Then we’ll start there."
I look up, my heart pounding. "We?"
"You think you can fight Ethan Caldwell on your own?" He raises a brow. "You’re nothing to him right now. Just a woman he threw away."
I swallow the lump in my throat. "Then what do I do?"
His eyes darken with something unreadable. "You rise, Claire."
I suck in a breath.
"You become someone powerful," he continues. "Someone untouchable. You don’t just fight Ethan—you make him regret ever throwing you away."
I stare at him, my pulse racing.
"And how do I do that?"
A slow smirk curves his lips. "By becoming someone the world can’t ignore."
***
Richard doesn’t just give me a place to stay—he rebuilds me.
Doctors check every inch of me, making sure I recover from the months of malnutrition and neglect.
Stylists fix my hair, my skin, my nails.
Trainers push me to my limits, forcing me to regain the strength I lost.
Every day is a test.