The Officer's Runaway Wife & Secret Son novel Chapter 512

The atmosphere in the room was already a bit tense, but that comment dropped the temperature to freezing.

The others hadn't realized Rhys was now working a desk job.

Going from SWAT to an administrative director was a massive shift, and the underlying insult was obvious.

Rhys's expression remained flat. He didn't even twitch an eyebrow. He couldn't care less about superficial titles, and he cared even less about Owen's provocation.

He had no intention of responding, but Clara wasn't going to let it slide.

"Captain or Director, it's just a title."

A faint smile touched Clara's lips. "While I was gone, he was pushing himself too hard and dealing with a lot of old injuries. Switching to a role with regular hours means he gets more time at home with me..."

She tilted her head slightly, meeting Owen's gaze without dropping her smile.

"It's perfect."

She paused for a beat before adding, "Mr. Price sure has a lot of free time, though. First you were asking me about his medical condition, and now you're worrying about his career path."

The entire table exchanged confused looks.

First time? Asking Clara about his health?

They hadn't even seen Owen and Rhys speak at Old Mr. Huntington's funeral. As soon as the service was over, Owen had disappeared.

When had they met?

Rhys was momentarily stunned. He looked at Clara's profile.

This was the first time she had ever bared her fangs at anyone in this circle.

The anxiety that had gripped his heart all afternoon melted away, easily anchored by her simple defense of him.

Shawn didn't read too deeply into it. He just felt the room getting stiff, and since getting Rhys out was rare enough, he raised his glass to smooth things over.

"Hey, hey, hey! Rhys is just prioritizing family. You don't even have a wife, Owen, so you wouldn't get it. Come on, drink up! A toast to Rhys and Clara!"

Owen shrugged dismissively. "You're right. I just have a terrible way with words. I'll drink to my own stupidity."

The tension blew over. Shawn had the waiters bring out the food, and the group quickly found new things to talk about. The noise level gradually rose again.

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