Claude's POV
I built Jean Entertainment with my own two hands. I crafted it from scratch with Key and Len, built its pillars with late nights, sleepless weeks, and a boiling frustration toward the Lockheart name. All for freedom. Independence. Control.
And, yes, to escape a future I didn't choose.
A future with Mio.
So why the hell does it feel like I lost the moment I succeeded?
I sat there, staring at her across the room like she'd personally set fire to my life plan and then handed me a gold trophy for "Best Attempt at Avoidance."
"You really meant that," I muttered.
She beamed. "Of course. I'm a supportive wife."
Supportive of my efforts to escape her.
There were very few things in the world that could make me question my sanity. Mio Lockheart was all of them.
My parents had always loved her. Treated her like a real daughter. Too much, in fact. That's what made it dangerous. The more they cherished her, the more pressure they put on me to make sure she stayed.
