After much thinking, Naomi still couldn't make sense of things. She said, "Claude is getting a lot of attention, so it makes sense that someone might be after him."

Tyler just nodded, not looking up from what he was doing.

That same evening, Olivia's phone rang. It was Claude on the other end. "Olivia," he began, his voice calm.

Olivia's heart raced, but Claude spoke gently. "Do you believe them?"

His voice carried a touch of sadness as he continued, "Other people's opinions don't matter to me, but yours does. At my age, why should I care so much about what you think? Do you think I'm a rapist?"

off guard by his call, Olivia struggled to process everything. Claude had left his job at Yancey Bank and was dealing with a lot, yet he still made time to call her. She hadn't realized

deeply. How

silence, Olivia finally spoke. "Did

you believe me?"

so she answered honestly, "I don't know you very

lot to me," Claude

asked. His reaction seemed to confirm the worst, as if he was acknowledging what everyone was saying. "I resigned

his deep, low voice that still carried its usual

I just care about you, so I'm asking you to

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