Chapter 16

The question hung heavy in the air, a challenge to Aaron's carefully constructed facade. It wasn't the question itself, the inquiry about his feelings for Hilary, that had thrown him. It was the way Mr. Clinton had asked it, with a knowing glint in his eyes, a sense of implied threat.

It was then that Aaron, caught off guard, felt a strange wave of relief wash over him. He wasn’t used to being questioned about his feelings, especially not by someone like Mr. Clinton. The tension of the situation, the weight of the hidden truth, it all seemed to loosen its grip for a moment. And as he looked into Mr. Clinton’s sharp eyes, a flicker of defiance arose within him.

"You're kidding, right?" Aaron chuckled, the sound a bit too loud in the quiet office. "Hilary's like a daughter to me. It's just… I care about her, that's all."

He'd chosen the path of humor as a shield, a way to deflect the serious nature of the conversation. And as he spoke, the words resonated with a surprising amount of