Their car was waiting just outside the hotel. The driver assisted in loading Claudia's wheelchair into the trunk.

Both Jace and Claudia settled into the backseat, each immersed in their own reflections of the recent encounter with the Nixon family.

Suddenly, Jace exhaled a deep sigh. "Cece, you've come a long way."

Claudia, caught in a wave of emotion, looked at her father. "Dad, I apologize. I was rather stubborn."

Jace understood her sentiment well. Despite his friendship with Henry, he had never really supported Claudia's union with Anthony.