Chapter 21: Morning Rules

By the time the day changed direction, nobody in the room was prepared for where it would lead.

Claire and Adrian explain the injury without explaining the kiss. They create written co-parenting rules, including no surprise visits and no romantic confusion around Lucy.

Claire understood that the next choice would be remembered long after the explanation. They had become unusually honest since the divorce began. Honesty did not make the choices easier, but it stopped them from pretending that ease was the same thing as peace.

Adrian signs every rule, then adds one for himself: no using money, staff, or guilt to solve emotional problems.

"You forgot one. No lying when the truth is inconvenient."

Neither of them called it forgiveness. Forgiveness was too large for one night and too fragile to demand.

Daniel reports that Victor has scheduled a hostile vote to remove Adrian as chief executive.