Building Her Throne Burying My Heart (Claire) novel Chapter 105

Claire was the one who burst in, face full of storm clouds. She marched straight over, her words sharp and loud. “Deanna, we used to be best friends, but that doesn’t mean I’ll let you keep pushing my limits.”

The second I heard her, I pulled the privacy curtain closed, as if that thin fabric could keep the chaos out.

Deanna stepped away from my bed, turning to Claire with a puzzled look. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. If you need a doctor, find someone else. If this is personal, come see me tomorrow. I don’t talk about private stuff at work.”

She peeled off her gloves, reaching for a new pair, clearly ready to keep cleaning the glass from my hand.

But Claire just got angrier, taking it like Deanna was siding with me on purpose. “You know exactly what I mean. Stop pretending. Why do you keep helping Lambert?”

Claire grabbed Deanna’s arm. Deanna looked at her, really seeing her for the first time in years. Claire had changed. She used to be warm, but now she was cold, fierce, almost unrecognizable. Deanna had seen the headlines, watched Claire take down her rivals, watched her climb higher and higher at any cost. She’d watched her old friend turn into someone who seemed determined to crush me completely.

“Claire, you’re not the same person you used to be.” Deanna’s voice was gentle, but the words hit hard.

That broke something in Claire. All the fight in her cracked and spilled out. “Of course I’ve changed. If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have survived to get here. Nobody gets to judge me. I haven’t done anything wrong. I’m just living for myself, that’s all.”

Deanna knew Claire had been through a lot. Their friendship had faded, and now it felt like there was a canyon between them. Claire was right, in a way. Who was Deanna to judge her?

“Please just leave. I’m working.” Deanna tried to sit back down, but Claire blocked her.

“Go help Garrison. He’s covered in glass and the doctors are overwhelmed.”

Deanna shot her a tired look. “Almost every doctor is already with him. Besides, I have someone here who needs help too.”

“I don’t care.”

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