It was already late when Alex returned home. He slipped off his jacket and flung it over the sofa before sinking into it with a deep sigh. His body ached with exhaustion, and he assumed Claire had already gone to bed until he heard faint sounds coming from the kitchen. A frown creased through his brows seeing It was too late for Mrs. Hamptons to still be around.Alex got up and took careful steps towards the kitchen quietly. The sight that greeted him was Claire wearing a short red nightgown that clung to her figure. Her hair was slightly tousled, and her lips glistened as she drank from a glass of water.She noticed him and smiled. "Hey, you're back."For a moment, Alex couldn't speak. He just stood there, staring, his lips parted as though he'd forgotten how to breathe.She looked so effortlessly stunning it was almost painful."Alex?" Her voice snapped him out of his daze."Uh, yeah. I just got back," he said, trying to sound casual but failing miserably."I was worried, so I staye
Heavy breaths filled the room as she leaned back against the kitchen counter, her chest rising and falling as she came down from her high. “That was amazing,” she murmured, a satisfied smile tugging at her lips. “We should do it more often.” He chuckled, running a hand through his disheveled hair. Her eyes flicked down and caught sight of his very obvious erection straining against his pants. Without a word, she slid down from the counter, her bare feet landing softly on the tiled floor. His eyes followed her every movement, curiosity and desire mingling in his gaze. Before he could say anything, she sank gracefully to her knees in front of him, her hands already reaching for his waistband. “What are you doing?” he asked, his voice low but edged with both surprise and anticipation as he looked down at her. She glanced up at him through her lashes, her smile playful yet filled with intent. “Making sure you feel just as amazing as I do.”Taking off his pants and underwear, her eyes
Alex woke up abruptly, Claire's name slipping from his lips. He blinked, disoriented, as the vivid dream lingered for a moment longer. Then reality hit. It was all a dream. A wet dream. He glanced down at himself, groaning softly when he saw the evidence. He had spilled his thick juices everywhere in his underwear. "Seriously?" he muttered, running a hand through his hair and then covering his face in shame. He got up and went to the bathroom to wash up. The cold water that ran through his hair and assaulted his body did help, but the dream still lingered in his mind. He wondered if he was sexually frustrated or that was just how much he wanted her. Getting out of the shower, he changed into fresh new underwear and lounge pants. His throat felt dry even though he just showered so he headed downstairs for a drink. It felt like deja vu when he saw Claire standing by the fridge, sipping water, he froze. She was in simple pajamas—not the red gown from his dream. Still, it was enough
Alex woke up, the events of the previous day replaying in his mind. He dreaded the idea of facing Claire this morning, but he knew he had no choice. With a heavy sigh, he got out of bed and prepared for work. When he came downstairs, he found Claire and Mrs. Hamptons chatting heartily at the dining table. The sight caught him off guard, and he couldn’t help but wonder if he was the only one feeling awkward about yesterday. Had she already moved past it? Then again, he reminded himself, nothing had actually happened between them, it was all in his head. Mrs. Hamptons' lively presence made breakfast feel more natural, the conversation flowing easily between them all. Alex was grateful for the distraction, though he still found himself stealing quick glances at Claire. He kept them as minimal as possible, not wanting to give himself away. He realized he hadn’t updated Claire about the investigation or its progress. Instead, he’d spent his time having wet dreams about her. What kind o
Tess stood on the rooftop, staring down at the city below, trying to collect her thoughts. The news that Liam had been arrested hit her hard. She was scared, but more than that, anger boiled inside her. Her plan to come between Alex and Claire had didn’t work out, and now everything seemed to be falling apart. With a growl of frustration, Tess threw her cigarette to the ground and stomped on it repeatedly, muttering curses under her breath. "Fuck. Fuck. Fuck," channeling all her anger into the small, discarded cigarette. From the distance, Claire watched Tess. It made her wonder whether she had ever truly known her. They had been office friends, nothing more, and now this. Her actions was all so much to process. Tess raised her head to see Claire’s standing at a distance. She took swift steps towards her and before Claire could react, Tess rushed toward her and grabbed her shirt with an angry grip. “You know, you could’ve just told me the truth,” Tess spat, her voice filled with b
Alex parked his car and quickly went on the internet to check what his secretary had told him about. He searched his name, and of course, the news about his wife’s dad being an ex-convict popped up. He clicked on one of the articles and read through silently, clenching his fists more and more with every word he digested from the long article. "Evidence shows that he assaulted underage children from elite families out of sheer malice and jealousy, and it was reported that he didn’t feel remorseful even when he was convicted." He called his secretary and instructed her to look into the article and verify how true it was, then report back to him. He hit his steering wheel repeatedly. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" He checked his company’s stocks, and of course, they had taken a hit with a 1.78% decrease. It was only expected to continue plummeting the more the news spread. The immediate solution would be to publicly divorce Claire and state that he had no prior knowledge of the situation, a
Everyone watching the scene gasped loudly, and some quickly whipped out their phones to record the confrontation. Claire stood frozen, blinking in disbelief, as Kate glared at her with fiery anger. She could feel the heat of everyone’s eyes on her. Her cheek still stung from the slap, but she was too stunned to react. “What do you think you’re doing?!” Claire finally managed to shout, her voice trembling with a mix of confusion and frustration. She took a step back, her hand instinctively brushing her cheek, but the shock of the situation kept her rooted to the spot. “I should be the one asking you that,” Kate sneered, her voice sharp as she took a step closer, her fury unmistakable. “How dare you try to ruin our family with your shifty family?” Claire’s brow furrowed in confusion. She was still trying to process the slap, her chest tight with a mix of anger and confusion. “What are you even talking about?” she demanded, her fists clenching at her sides, her voice wavering with
Alex rushed her straight to the hospital, where doctors and nurses were already waiting outside to receive them. Though her breathing was still weak, she was more stable. Alex refused to let anyone else touch her, carrying her himself to the bed. The doctor checked her vitals and assured him she was fine, but Alex insisted she be admitted for further observation. A VIP hospital room was quickly arranged, allowing her to rest peacefully. Alex stayed by her bedside, watching over her as she slept. After a while, he quietly left and drove straight back to the company. There, he requested the CCTV footage of the incident and sat down to watch it, his jaw tightening with every passing second. He burned with fury as he watched the footage of his stepmother slapping Claire and the crowd standing idly by, filming instead of helping her when she clearly needed it. His fists clenched tightly, and his breathing grew heavy with rage. Without hesitation, he called his secretary into his office
Alex unfolded the letter with Claire by his side, their shoulders touching as they leaned over the words. His hand tightened slightly on the paper as he read aloud: “I don’t expect forgiveness, nor do I deserve it. What I did, everything I did, was wrong. I’ve spent months reflecting on my actions and the pain I caused both of you. You didn’t deserve any of it. All I can offer now is an apology, but I know words can never undo the harm. Please know I’m truly sorry. —Charles.” A heavy silence settled over them. Claire stared at the letter, her expression unreadable. "What do you think this means?" Alex asked, his voice low, almost hesitant. “After refusing to see me for months” Claire let out a slow breath. "I don’t know. Maybe it’s his way of closing a chapter, or maybe it’s guilt finally catching up to him. Either way, it doesn’t change what he’s done." Alex studied her face for a moment. "Do you think he means it?" She shrugged. "Maybe he does. Maybe it’s just words.
They stood in tense silence, their words still hanging heavy in the air, neither willing to break the stalemate. Finally, Alex scoffed lightly, dragging a hand down his face, breaking the tension between them. “What are we doing?” he muttered, his voice weary. “Yeah,” Claire echoed softly, “what are we doing?” Alex stepped closer, his movements slow, and carefully pulled her into his arms. She didn’t resist, but her arms stayed stiff at her sides. “I know you were scared,” he murmured, his voice thick with regret. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there. I swear to you, it will never happen again.” “You promise?” she whispered, her voice laced with doubt. “Yes,” he said firmly, pulling back just enough to meet her eyes. “I promise. And I’m sorry about what I said earlier about your ex. That wasn’t fair. None of this is your fault.” Claire’s shoulders softened as her anger gave way to exhaustion. Slowly, she leaned into him, her arms wrapping around his waist. Alex exhaled deeply i
The sound of the hospital door opening snapped them both out of their reverie. They sprang to their feet in an instant, their eyes fixed on the doctor who stepped into the room, his expression unreadable. Alex’s heart hammered in his chest as he took a step forward, Claire beside him, her hand gripping his. The doctor looked between them, clearing his throat before speaking. "She's stable now, but we’ll need to monitor her closely. The impact was serious, but we've done everything we can for now." The relief that flooded through Alex was almost overwhelming, but his eyes never left the doctor. "Is she going to be okay? Will she make it through?" The doctor nodded slowly, his gaze softening. "It’s too soon to say for certain, but we’re hopeful. She’s a fighter." Claire let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, and Alex tightened his grip on her hand and that made her realize they were holding hands. She quickly let go of his hand and Alex looked back confused a
Claire wasted no time getting back into her car and driving straight to Alex’s office. It took her a little over thirty minutes to arrive, and she rushed inside without a second thought. When she reached his office, it was empty. Letting out a scream of frustration, she ran her hands through her hair, feeling her composure slipping away. Desperation clawed at her as she fished her phone out of her bag and dialed Vanessa’s number. The line barely rang before Vanessa picked up. “Where is Alex?” Claire demanded without preamble. “Mr. Steele left work right after the meeting concluded about an hour ago,” Vanessa replied calmly. “An hour ago?” Claire repeated. “Yes. Is everything okay?” “He’s not picking his calls. Is there any other way I can reach him?” Vanessa hesitated. “I’ve been trying to pass on some information to him too, but I can’t reach him either. He hasn’t responded to anything.” Claire closed her eyes, frustration boiling over. There was no way to get ahold of h
Claire couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw Roy’s mother standing at her doorstep, her face twisted with anger. “What are you doing here?” Claire asked in a sharp voice. “What am I doing here?” Roy’s mother shot back, her tone laced with venom. “My son died because of you. If you hadn’t left him, if only you’d taken him back, he’d still be alive right now!” Claire let out a bitter scoff, folding her arms defensively. “Don’t kid yourself. Your son died because he didn’t know when to back down. That’s not my fault, it was his choice to walk that path.” “You little wench!” Roy’s mother snarled, stepping forward and grabbing the front of Claire’s shirt with trembling hands. “How dare you talk about my son like that?” Claire’s mother became worried as the raised voices reached her. She quickly rose from her seat and began making her way to the door to know what is going on. Claire didn’t flinch under Roy’s mother’s grip. Her voice was low but firm as she asked, “Do you know w
It had been days since the investigation was officially launched, and tension had only grown thicker. The turning point came when an anonymous source submitted damning evidence to the authorities, call logs, text messages, and voicemails between Charlotte and Roy. The material was meticulous, exposing every detail of their plan: from luring Alex to the restaurant to orchestrating the photo and even identifying the person who had taken it. The board had convened once again to address the new developments. Alex walked into the office that morning, accompanied by Claire. She had insisted on coming, though she knew she wouldn’t be allowed into the conference room. Instead, she lingered outside, her nerves fraying as she waited for the meeting to begin. As she paced the hallway, she felt the air shift. When she looked up, Charlotte was walking toward her with her usual confident stride, though her face betrayed the slightest hint of stress. “I see you’re still with him, even after
Alex brought out his phone and placed it on the table before hitting the play button on the recording. The room fell silent as Alex’s voice filled the air, followed by Charlotte’s damning words. Gasps erupted from the board members, their shock evident as they exchanged wide-eyed glances. Charles, visibly flustered, slammed his hand on the table. “This is a desperate attempt to save yourself, Alex! That recording is fake, fabricated to sabotage me because you’re losing your place in the company!” Alex smirked, taking a deliberate step forward, his confidence radiating. “Oh, is that what you think I’m doing, Charles?” He leaned on the table, locking eyes with him. “Funny, because Charlotte would’ve thrown you under the bus if I had reconsidered her little offer.” With a tap on his phone, Alex resumed the recording, letting the incriminating part play. “I might just reconsider if you rethink your decision and choose me instead. We can turn our scandal into a love story.” T
The next day, Claire woke up earlier than usual, determined to make breakfast for Alex. She served him a plate of eggs and toast, but he barely touched it, eating absently while his mind wandered to the impending board meeting. “I could come with you, you know,” Claire offered hesitantly, watching him down the last sip of his coffee. He gave her a soft smile and shook his head. “I appreciate it, but it’s better if you stay here. I’ll handle it.” Claire didn’t press further, though she hated the thought of him facing everything alone. At the office, Alex walked through the building, catching the curious glances of employees who were clearly aware of the ongoing scandal. He ignored them, his focus set on the day ahead. Once in his office, he placed his phone on the desk and called Claire, her voice the only thing that could steady his nerves. “I’m already in,” he told her. “I’ll update you after the meeting.” “Just breathe, Alex. You’ll get through this,” Claire sai
Charles leaned back in his chair, a satisfied smirk on his face as the board members nodded one after the other, each voicing their agreement. The private meeting had gone exactly as he’d planned. The chaos surrounding Alex’s personal life had provided the perfect opportunity to strike, and now the board was on his side. “It’s settled then,” Charles said, his voice calm but laced with triumph. “We’ll convene tomorrow to finalize the motion. The longer we wait, the more damage this scandal will cause.” One of the senior board members cleared his throat. “We’re only doing this for the sake of the company. Alex has been a good CEO, but we can’t afford to let sentimentality ruin us.” “Exactly,” Charles replied smoothly. “This is about protecting the company and its future. Nothing personal.” After the meeting, Charles stepped out of the conference room, where Charlotte was waiting for him in the hallway. She was leaning casually against the wall, a satisfied gleam in her eyes.