Joshua got up early because he wanted to be in charge of the story. He wrote a statement for the press in which he denied the accusations and said that the whole thing was just a mistake. He had to put on a united front, but his feelings were all over the place.
On the first floor, Mia and Claire were sitting at the breakfast table in silence. Joshua walked in with confidence. He got close to Mia and put his hand on her shoulder. His voice was soft as he asked, "How did you sleep, Mia?"
Mia blushed slightly. "I slept well, thank you."
Claire's eyes got sharp as she watched the conversation, and her grip on her coffee cup got tighter.
Joshua kept being nice to Mia at work, even when other people were around. He would praise her looks, laugh at her jokes, and even touch her arm lightly when they spoke.
Nathan, noticing the dynamic, pulled Joshua away. "What are you doing? This isn't helping."