123Claire's POV "You know? H-how did you—" Another squeeze from her and I calmed down. Now it was starting to make sense. My mom came to my room and gave me all the time in the world so I would confide in her. She was encouraging me to trust her with my emotions. I wanted to reason out, give her some explanation because I had promised my family to never see Hunter again. To never let him influence my life ever again after the divorce. For them, I was moving ahead in my career without Hunter's shadow falling on me. They believed Hunter was out of my life for good. But they didn't know the secret of my life. The dirty secret I found both soothing and anguishing. Hunter's confession. Him still being a part of my life. Him still meeting me frequently although my family presumes he is non-existent in my life. I opened my mouth to confront her but she beat me to it. "Cole called your father after I brought you to your room. He told us about the malfunction and how Hunter risked his
124Claire's POV She shifted and a dark look rose on her face before she answered thoughtfully. "That's a risk, sweetie. But, think about it this way: if you don't give him a second chance, you'll always wonder what could've been and whether Hunter truly regretted leaving you or not. And, more importantly, you deserve to know if he's truly changed. Forgiveness doesn't mean forgetting; it means releasing the hurt and moving forward.""As far as Zara is concerned, there are many women like her out there, who want to achieve a luxurious life the easiest way. But there are men who are loyal to their wives and don't give them any attention. If Hunter's truly in love with you, he would never look back at her even if she's there."We both looked across from us at the silent garden. In the lights around the fence, we witnessed drizzling water drops coming down one after another. It was exquisite. "Don't forget that he's had a chance to be with her. You left him to have a happy life with Zar
125Claire stared at him as her heart throbbed with a furious rhythm. Her hands were suspended around his shoulders. Just suspended an inch or so away. She wasn't touching. She didn't want his heat to transfer to her body and make her quiver. Whereas he was tightening his hold like an anaconda does upon feeling his prey exhale inch by inch. It became difficult to breathe.However, she didn't thrust him back. She didn't even try to uncoil his muscled arms from around her frame and put distance. Somewhere, deep down in her heart, she found this type of physical contact with him soothing. Like a balm on forehead searing with relentless ache."I know it sounds ridiculous coming from my mouth, but Claire," Hunter arched his head up and a blistering current of anguish coursed up her spine.The whites in his eyes were red. All the little veins popping up and becoming visible. That's not what anguished Claire. It was the tears.She had seen Hunter in tears before. But this was different. This
126Claire's heart pounded in her ribs with a force that mingled with the inexplicable emotions within her. She held his jaw firmly and sucked on his bottom lip while shivers erupted in her back. She'd never thought she would be this scared kissing Hunter.Even though she had taken initiative in their two years of marriage to start intimacy between them, this time she was scared out of her wits. This felt different. Kissing Hunter after divorce felt different. So different that her toes curled inward as she brushed her lips a little roughly on his to get his attention.Hunter responded to it after a while, after he broke out of the spell of shock she cast on him since she put her lips on his, and nipped her upper lip. His hands went around her waist and pulled her closed into his chest.Claire let his arms take her in, place her against his hot, hot chest as she enjoyed this position. She didn't hesitate to curl her legs around his waist as her hands tightened around his neck. She was
127Claire blushed and licked her lips. She was feeling ashamed for something she shouldn't be. As for Penelope, she took pleasure in teasing her best friend. She had long accepted that Claire was going to be an end game with Hunter. There's no one else she would look better with— not when Hunter had realized his mistakes. She didn't like the sound of it earlier, when Hunter was being a lovesick puppy for Zara, but now it all was making sense. Things were proceeding how they should. Claire's prayers were getting answered. Hunter was really trying to get back together with her. She didn't know what kind of person he was, but she knew Claire deserved to have her happily ever after. And for a fact, Penny knew that it wouldn't be with anyone else if not Hunter. She surreptitiously looked over her shoulder at Claire trying to put Hunter on the bed. He seemed to have fallen asleep. Taking a breath, she joined her friend. "Don't worry, I'm not here to make you melt into jelly." She quick
128Hunter's POVI woke up in a setting I had never expected to find myself in. My eyelids went up, as high as they could, in shock as I looked around myself.How could this be? I accept I dreamed of waking up in Claire's arms every morning I broke free from my sleep, but I never imagined that happening in Claire's room. Hell, I didn't imagine waking up in her room alone at all.But that's what was happening to me. I was in Claire's bed in her father's mansion. The windows were open and the sound of thunder roaring outside matched with my heart beats. The deluge was intense outside and the scenery was blurry gray on the other side of the window. I sided the quilt which smelled of Claire and placed my feet down on the furry carpet on the floor.I was about to rise to my full height when the sound of the lock turning rang in my ears and my body stiffened. My shoulders tensed and my heart skipped a beat as I witnessed Claire walking in. She was in a loose t-shirt and shorts that left a lo
129Hunter's POVIt felt awkward following Claire into the kitchen of her father's house. I kept my pace slow and my eyes affixed on her back, still anxious that her parents or brother would notice me and get mad in rage. It's strange how I'm feeling right now.My Ex parents-in-law have left for their holiday. Claire didn't say much but she mentioned that her parents needed time for themselves. They haven't had a vacation for a year.I can understand the other reason she didn't verbalize. They have worried enough over Claire and my divorce, and they deserve a break. It stuns me but it's going to be close to five months since we parted. Five months since I ruined our lives. Talking about Scott, he's gone on a three day trip to some island by the college. That's why I was able to move around the Argent Mansion like I was still the son-in-law of the family. There was a time when I hardly cared about Claire's family's feelings or what they thought of me. I was ignorant and careless. Not
130Claire couldn't help but feel adrenaline rush through her veins. She clutched the counter at her back to keep standing as she furrowed her brows accusingly at Hunter."So you are rejecting my efforts and food again?!""Hell, no. That's not what I meant and you know that." She saw Hunter's body stiffen.She knew why he was saying that and it caused her all the way more pain. That's because she was willing to give him a chance. Willing to answer his stubbornness with a yes. Willing to take a step towards him and acknowledge his persistence.Hunter's efforts to prove his love for her had been more powerful than his efforts to ignore her. And he also confronted her that he was not really as ignorant as she thought he was. She loved his efforts. She loved how he followed her.It was a dream come too. She found it embarrassing and contradicting the determinations she had made after signing the divorce papers (that she would never look back at him and their past) but how could she not loo
203"Mr. Argent, it's very important for me to see your daughter. Allow me this one time, please. It's about our future." Hunter said ignoring Andrea as he addressed Dominic. Feeling insulted, Andrea spoke with disdain, "What future? My daughter's future is better off without you. You left her when she needed you the most. Now that we are trying to set her up with a far better match, you want to waltz back in her life. Dream on, Hunter. It's not happening. Her parents are standing in between her and you. We will never let you get to her again.""Did you really think you could slink back into Claire's life after your ex's true nature was exposed? You're delusional if you think that's possible."Hunter gave her a stoic look, although his red eyes showed his turmoil."And do you think I'm coming back only because Zara's arrested now? It's you who's dreaming, Mrs. Argent. Claire and I've never parted ways even after the divorce. Our separation brought us closer— me actually.""I realized
202"SCOTT, NO!" They exclaimed in unison, but Scott was already charging towards Hunter like a madman.Claire, who had been sobbing against her father's chest, snapped her head up at Hunter's mention. Color drained from her face witnessing Hunter at the doorstep with crimson-rimmed eyes. Their gazes locked, and everything he had said to her came flooding back to her in an overwhelming wave. Despite the look of pleading on his face and apology in his eyes, she remained hard-hearted. However, the part that loved her once... The part that basked in the sight of him being praised and respected by her family became distressed. Scott was a decade younger to Hunter, and even though the latter treated her like a doormat wife with zero worth in his life, he was still related to her. Ex-husband... But still they had a past. Claire stepped out of her father's arms as Scott dashed towards Hunter, driven by instincts. "Hunter MacIntyre, you've hurt my sister enough. Time to pay back!" Her hea
201Outside the Argent Villa,Scott and Shawn met each other outside the former's house. Their faces were dull with worry and in the rain storm, they stood soaking wet."Did you find anything about your brother?" Scott asked as he wiped a hand on his face to clear his vision."Yeah, he's at a pub.... With a woman." Shawn uttered the last three words between clenching teeth.Scott wasn't surprised. He was aware of his best friend's elder brother's way to avoid media attention concerning his personal life. He was just slightly affected that Tyler lied to go to pub to find a random chick to click with, so he could post fake dating news with her, instead of attending a dinner with his family.They've been waiting so restlessly to have him at home. The look of sorrow on Andrea's face was pitiful. Scott recalled that expression and exhaled a sigh. His mother had been overly excited to have Tyler at home. She had prepared so many dishes for him, which they had to eat alone and in silence. Cl
200"This is all, but I swear, I haven't seen any other woman since that encounter with that wench. It was after that incident I started noticing you. The second year of our marriage consists of me observing everything you did. That's how I learned your favorites, although I never let it show until now."Hunter tried to close the gap between them with small steps, hoping that when he was standing before her, Claire wouldn't push him away. After all, he had a huge list of extra marital relations. "When I started learning things about you, it slowly came to my understanding that you were exactly how I would have preferred my life partner to be. You were firm with a touch of boldness. You could be extremely caring at times and extensively outraged if annoyed. You didn't hesitate to make me pay for my ignorance and then you also came to show your love to me when you felt that I wasn't going to do it. You held the torch in our relationship and lives, and radiated it with your resilience."
199"I was mentally dead. Although I married you, I didn't feel the excitement as that of a married man because you weren't the woman I want. So, I just spent my time at the club with Cole and other friends.""Even if you weren't the bride I saw myself saying 'I do' for, I was determined to never stray. But that night, that night something got into. I was not heavily drunk but I kissed a woman who sat in my life. I groped her even though Cole and my friends warned me of having a wife. I didn't know what I was doing."Claire's stare became painful. She internally lamented as her heart yelled from the pain of his treachery. His confession now hurt like a third degree burn. She didn't know when she started sobbing, but that was the only sound she heard. She felt as though she’d suddenly jumped off a cliff. What she was feeling was beyond anyone's imagination. Accepting Hunter's infidelity before marriage was bearable. But thinking of him doing the same in the first week after he was dec
198"It happened a few days after Zara left me. I was heartbroken and mentally disturbed. The blaring music of the club became my companion as I found solace in alcohol. I would spend the days at office and my nights at the club." Hunter began. Now that she asked him to be honest, he was not going to skip anything. She also warned him to share it even it's hurtful, so he would do that too. As long as it convinced her to stay and be with him, he would do anything. Although that's not what he thought he would be compelled to do when he left his house to find Claire, he had no other choice. Hunter's heart raced in his chest. He was making mistake after mistake recently. One action he took to soothe his nerves ended up causing a ripple effect of consequences. Hence, he wasn't going to make another mistake by skipping any detail of his infidelity. The air was cool, and yet he sweated profusely while his face remained as white as the moon. "But I was never alone. Cole was there with me.
197A thunder clapped in the sky with lightning, illuminating their faces for a nanosecond. Hunter was panicked by her words and the expression he caught in the light from her face made his blood rush to his head. He moved closer. He pulled her to his chest and leaned his face near hers. Claire squirmed and wriggled like a fish taken out of water. But she calmed down the minute he pinned her to the tree and rested his forehead against hers, his mouth aligned with hers while his thrumming heart synced with her own. The air seemed to turn colder as darkness increased. They couldn't see each other. But in the back of their minds, they pictured each other's expressions and emotions as they breathed heavily in sync. "You are a jerk... And I hate you." Claire sobbed. Her body was shaking in misery. She was crying because of his disappearance and caressed her back. He moved his mouth to her jaw and trailed a line of kisses along her jaw to her neck as he whispered sorry to hers. Claire
196Claire dashed a hand over her cheeks to wipe her tears. She didn't know where else to go— where she could cry without being interuptted by her loved ones or well-wishers— so she came to the only place she thought would offer her the privacy and quiet she needed during this phase of her life... The lake.The same lake that was her companion during her teenage years. The same lake around which she touched herself for the first time while imagining Hunter. The same lake that soothed her heart and brought delight to her face whenever she came here in the past.However, she felt cold in her heart tonight when she came here. Her eyes stung from tears that build up. Stopping near a tree, Claire slumped down. She was tired of feeling disappointed at how her life was unfolding.Twists and turns aggravated her. It was like every month her life took a turn. While one month she was all gloomy and struggling to focus in life, the other month she was too exhilarated to contain it. The changing
195There was silence on the line from both sides. They contemplated where their siblings would go at this hour of night. A thunder roared outside and they both returned back to their senses. "It's completely okay for Tyler to stay out at this hour of night. It's not the first time. But Claire..." Shawn trailed off. "This isn't like Claire. Something's wrong." "We have to find them. Now. I'm coming to your place, Scott. I'll pick you up and we'll go together." Shawn announced."Let's go find them. I need to know what's going on. Claire would never disappear without a word." ***At Hunter's Mansion, Cole sat on the patio, his weary figure slumped in a chair. He was smoking while scrolling through his face. His face was grim while his lips twisted at the posts he came across on his feed. Tyler and Claire were trending. Some stupid social media manipulator started a rumor and it was going awfully viral now. Although Cole understood that it was fake, it sparked widespread frenzy. Us