6 I was deliberately dismissive , even challenging . I was betting he wouldn't dare admit he was reborn . The idea was too insane . Grant's pupils contracted , a barely perceptible flicker . He said nothing , his sharp gaze roaming my face , trying to parse the truth from the bluff . The air in the office crackled with tension . After a few agonizing seconds , he straightened up , strode around the desk , and walked directly toward me . His imposing presence made me take an involuntary step back , my shoulders hitting the cold , solid wood of the door . He stopped right in front of me , so close I could smell the clean , crisp scent of his shirt . Chapter 2 10:11 He leaned in , his voice a low murmur that seemed to vibrate through my bones . " Stop playing games , Audrey . The critical failure point in the supply chain leverage - you and I spent three years untangling that mess . So you tell me how an ' outsider ' could diagn- ose it so perfectly in a twenty - minute interview . " Boom . He remembered . He remembered everything . Every late night , every battle we fought side - by - side . A tidal wave of shock washed over me , leaving me breathless . My carefully constructed composure shattered . The memories I had forcibly suppressed - the shared struggles , the arguments in the war room , the victories , the crushing defeats - came rushing back . My mouth fell open , but no sound came out . My throat was tight with a tangled knot of emotions : shock , grief , a bitter sense of vindication . The comments ? Claire ? Their pathetic drama suddenly seemed so small , so insignificant . Watching my reaction , the last shred of doubt in Grant's eyes vanished . His dark gaze softened , swirling with something familiar , something heavy and intense . He lifted a hand , as if to touch my face , but stopped halfway , clenching it into a tight fist at his side . " The last life ... " his voice was raw , thick with a pain and regret that mirrored my own . " I'm sorry . And ... thank you . " The weight of those two words was immense . I knew what he was thanking me for - for holding the crumbling Rhodes Corporation together on my own after he was gone , fighting until I had nothing left to give . Outside , Claire paced the hallway , her anxiety mounting with every passing second . The closed door was a physical barrier that was driving her insane . She couldn't hear what was being said , but the feeling of being excluded , of the narrative slipping from her grasp , was intolerable . She pulled out her phone , the screen's glow illuminating her twisted features .