"Yes," he affirmed.

Following a moment of silence, he continued, "Mrs. Dreskin, if you hold any regard for me, you should be aware that I disclosed my emotional history during a prior interview."

Feeling a sense of embarrassment, Claudia gazed at him and admitted, “But I believe that interview happened before we met."

He offered no response but instead cast a scrutinizing glance in her direction.

Upon witnessing this, Claudia experienced an unexplained anxiety.