Chapter 23 - The Encounter at Heathrow
Twelve hours later, the Gulfstream touched down smoothly at London Heathrow. The autumn air in England was sharp, damp, and scented with the unmistakable mist of the Thames.
Claire stepped out of the VIP terminal into a private car waiting to take her straight to the Canary Wharf headquarters.
As the car wove through the bustling traffic of central London, her phone buzzed softly. It was an automated security alert from her Boston residential management team.
Motion detected: Marblehead waterfront property perimeter.
Claire frowned, swiping the notification open to view the live exterior camera feed.
On the screen, a lone figure stood shivering near the edge of her private wooden deck overlooking the Atlantic. Even wrapped in a bulky, threadbare coat, the slumped posture was unmistakable.
Aaron.
He had somehow tracked down her primary residence, crossing an ocean he could barely afford, driven by sheer desperation and delusion.
Before the security guard automated voice could warn him to leave, Aaron fell to his knees on the cold wooden planks, pressing his hands against the glass sliding door, staring out into the empty, darkened house.
Claire watched the live feed for three seconds, her expression completely devoid of pity, anger, or satisfaction.
Just cold, absolute distance.
With a single tap on her screen, she muted the alert and archived the notification forever.
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"Is everything alright?" Nathan asked from the front seat, noticing her pause.
"Just local traffic," Claire replied smoothly, locking her phone and sliding it back into her pocket. "Drive on."
