At this point, Tyler is being annoying! Do you still like him?
215Avery stayed quiet. Her grandson was going on the wrong path, thinking extremely wrong things regarding his future. But she didn't speak this time. Tyler was enraged, and anything she said would come as an arrow to him. Later in the evening when Claire came out, she looked rather dull and sad. Avery was sitting on the couch trying to knit a muffler. She noticed Claire coming out and waved at her, but she didn't call for her as she found her appearance surprising. The air of tiredness clung to her. The glow that comes on a person after taking a nap doesn't look like that, do they? They look rejuvenated and fresh. "I'm here, darling." Avery finally spoke, calling Claire over. Claire walked towards her and sat beside her. Her smile was small but the curiosity in her eyes was intense, "What are you knitting?" "A muffler." Avery grinned as she resumed twisting and gliding the long needles around to create a beautiful pattern. "For who? This rather looks short in size so I assume i
216Claire stood like a statue as kisses were being showered along her neck and shoulder. She was turned around, and two onyx orbs which caught light from the streak of light creeping in from the clerestory window from behind Claire shone darkly.Her heart thrummed as she perused that handsome face with plump lips with a hint of smile. The long lashes roofing over his dark gaze cast shadow on his cheeks.Claire stared deep into those eyes and surprisingly they made her shiver. She was not expecting him to follow her and come here. Not after he had been quiet as a cave unvisited for a thousand years.No message, no hint, he gave her nothing. And yet, he was standing here in front of her.Before Claire could think further, the lights returned and Grandma Avery walked into her line of vision behind Hunter. A loud clap shattered Claire's trance before she heard grandma say."Oh my god! I wasn't expecting this." She interlaced her fingers and hugged them to her chest, her expression was on
217Claire locked the door to her room and stood against it. With hands beside her on the door, she heaved, her chest rising and falling with each breath.Her heart was madly palpitating as her body shivered. Hunter was here— in the old Murphy Mansion. He followed her like he had promised that he would to win her back.Tears blinded her vision. Claire was confused why she was crying. They were not the tears of happiness... they were of anger and relief. And still, she didn't know why exactly she felt relieved to see him.Blinking her eyes, she sat down on the edge of the bed. She put her elbows on her knees and leaned forward as her interlaced fingers rested under her chin. She felt her throat throb as Claire thought back about his kisses.Wherever his lips touched was burning. She rubbed a hand on her neck and shoulder as she hissed to herself for feeling this way. Hunter was an enemy from now on. An enemy who tortured her greatly.She got up and entered the washroom to splash some
218"You, son of a bitch!" Tyler howled as everything around him blurred into pure black darkness.All he could see was his target— Hunter. The freaking bastard was displaying an irking smirk, standing there with hands in his pockets. Tyler stormed towards him and grasped the front of his shirt and the first few buttons snapped, flying around them. Avery's gasp filled the air. She covered her mouth, witnessing her usually calm grandson lose his mind and behave like a different person. She was too shocked to stop him, and Tyler was too enraged to see anything or anyone else. He fisted his other hand and raised it to punch Hunter in his face. It was happening in slow motion for some reason. Hunter, who was least bit fazed by Tyler's reaction, chuckled as he fixed his gaze on Avery's face. "See? I told you, your good for nothing grandson is going to be pissed. He doesn't want me here." Hunter said in a biting tone, making Tyler growl. More anger rolled through him and he ended up sn
219Hunter got up and dusted his clothes. His emotionless face didn't give away his feelings, and that aggravated Claire. She wanted to know whether or not he was hurting. Was he jealous that Tyler was defending her as though he shared a special bond with her? "We both know that it's not true. Claire would never not want me. She loves me too much to fall out of love with me, Murphy. Who are you kidding?" Hunter sneered.Claire didn't know whether it was his belief in her love or overconfidence in himself that made him say that. However, her chest tightened and emotions dripped out of her eyes in the form of tears.She pressed her lips tight to not cry as she leaned more into the pillar, feeling too weak to hold her own weight on her legs. "Oh, wow. I'm impressed. You must have a Ph.D. in delusion. "Claire loves me too much to fall out of love with me"? Nice dialogue there, MacIntyre! Where do you get all these dialogues from? Don't tell me you've started a part time job as a poet."
220Claire's breathing splintered as she looked down at Tyler. He was trying to sit up straight as Avery held his shoulders, her own eyes streaming with tears and chest dithering with sobs. Claire felt her heart crushing at the sight of blood. Tyler did nothing wrong to get this. He wasn't even trying to woo her into noticing him. It was all her doing. She had wanted to use him against Hunter for revenge. She had thought of dragging him in. Seeing his blood made her blood rush in agony. Claire wanted to support Tyler and wipe his blood with her own hands. However, the crazy fit of rage she felt compelled her to turn Hunter. She slapped him again and pushed him back. Hunter staggered. The first slap was enough to stun him. He was not ready for the second one, and the push had caught him off guard. "What do you think of yourself? Just who are you to beat Tyler like this? It was my decision to come with him... I will go with whoever I want, Hunter MacIntyre. Don't you dare think that
221Hunter sat in his bed by the support of the headboard, his legs stretched, right one crossed over the left. His hands remained firmly folded across his chest as stared up at the ceiling in the darkness with a face devoid of emotions and his heart bleeding in pain.When he had boarded his private jet to come to RavenMoore the other day, he invented a weird psychological thing where he assumed his heart was Hundred percent charged and strong. Since this journey he had embarked on to win Claire back wasn't going to be easy- given his long list of sins- he needed to be strong. He needed a strong heart to face the repercussions as well. Hence, Hunter strengthened his heart. Though it was stupid, he decided that he was going to minus some percent from the hundred percent after each heartbreaking incident he would encounter. This way he would get to know how it feels to hurt someone, how it feels to shatter someone's heart. After all, you can't truly know what it's like to have a heart
222Hunter's heart slammed in his stomach as it throbbed everywhere in his body. His fingers curled and a tide of intense rage crashed within him. "Murphy, no." He shook his head in warning, his voice a low eerie snarl."No? Why no, Hunter? I gave you respite all these years. Don't you think it's time to pay back for your evil deeds done towards me. It's not like I'm doing it alone! Claire and I will do it together. This way you will only have to pay once for the crimes you committed towards two individuals separately. It's a favor done on you, isn't it?"Hunter fumed. His heaving chest indicated the kind of control he was having on himself. The pulse at his throat seemed to explode any time now, even then, it didn't stop Tyler from pushing his buttons further."I was silent all this while because I didn't want to disturb your married life. I'll be honest, you dazed me with your so-called picture perfect life. I thought you were happy and your wife whom I have never met before didn't
261She took Claire's hand and stroked the back, "Well, I was one of those who had problems with your wedding with Hunter. I didn't like him. But over the months since your divorce, I have seen many changes in him. His love is genuine, Claire. The man didn't hesitate to kneel in a crowded place to please you, do you really think he would go back on his promises after doing so much for you?"Penny looked at her expectantly, hoping her words would have an effect. Claire only looked away and it blossomed her resentment."I haven't seen a dumber woman in my life!" Penny rose to her feet. "Hunter's literally crawling on a minefield to get to you and your stubbornness is one step away from making him explode with one of the mines. You will lose him forever if you don't stop it, Claire."Penny sauntered to the door, her feet thudding loudly on the tiled floor."Perhaps you want to see his body in a coffin to realize what you're doing to him and yourself.” Claire gasped at her words, her feat
260Penny didn't waver, "Girl, Hunter's character is deeper and darker than silent mysterious waters in the ocean. The last time Tia insulted you in the old Murphy Mansion during Grandma Avery's anniversary, Hunter burned her favorite car in revenge and in warning to stay away from you... And we saw how he pummeled Tyler for being around you.""H-he burned her car!!!" "Yeah, Cole told me. Anyway, do you think that after Tyler and you kissed, he saw him leaving your room and believing that you two had séx while he was in the next room, after Tia raised a knife on you to harm you, after bleeding for you… After all this— will he really stay quiet?"Claire recoiled in shock, wrapping her arms around her legs. She felt cold from all the assessment Penny made her do. "I... I'm speechless." "The answer to my question is— No, Hunter won't stay quiet. He's plotting his plan in silence and when it is the right time, he will unleash his attack on the Murphys.""....""Btw," Penny moved closer
259She knew she started off ridiculously. But it was her jumbled up emotions. Firstly, Hunter was annoying her. And then she saw Penny after such a long time. The friend within her, who had missed her other half— her bestie, was reawakened.The first glance Claire had taken at Penny after stepping inside the house was enough to realize that— had she been by her side wherever she wasn't, she might have prevented her from committing some of the mistakes she now regretted. The kiss with Tyler, for instance."You can stay here if you like. I'll just go up and..." Claire's tear-stricken voice came out slow and hoarse. "Take a shower! I also need to take care of this thing and figure out how to cover it."Claire started walking away when Penny asked, "What is that by the way?" "Oh, this is nothing. Someone just pressed a knife to my throat in the parking lot." Penny's blood ran cold. She immediately held Claire's hand to stop her. "Are you serious?" She lifted her chin a bit to see her
258"You have no idea what I want with you and how desperate I'm to have that. I've made mistakes, Claire, and I'm about to clear them up and make everything better. You just need to be a little soft and let me in." He spoke resignedly. "Be a little soft and let you in?" Claire growled angrily as she threw daggers at him. "You say things that hurt and then you disappear for days. Then you show up only when you hear I've been troubled. How is this going to make anything better? You don't keep your word and only act when it's convenient for you.” "I didn't disappear! I was just— wait!" Hunter fluttered his eyelids as a smirk unfurled on his lips. "Did you just say that I said things that hurt? By that, are you referring to what I said at the airport— about letting you go? Did that scare you, Dove? Did you really think I will not show you my face again? Damn, did you really think I was going to give up on us?"Crimson colored her cheeks as she redirected her gaze outside. Her eyes wide
257Claire sat heaving angrily beside Hunter. Her hands were folded under her breasts and she glared out without caring to fasten the seat belt. Hunter noticed it and said, "Claire, buckle up your seat belt."He was ignored brutally. He sighed as he tried again. This time Claire snapped her head towards him like a Python warning humans to leave it alone if they didn't want a painful bite."Fine, I'll do it for you."Hunter unclasped his own seat belt to come and help her. However, she thrusted a hand at his shoulder to keep him away."Touch me and you'll be dead meat!""I won't, now do it. We don't have time to waste, Claire. I told you I have a meeting!" He eyed the belt."It's none of my concern whether you have a meeting or not. I didn't ask you to drop me home. Now bear with it.""Claire..." Hunter sighed as he peered at her with a ‘what am I going to with you’ yet loving gaze. Claire fumed and looked out of the window. She wouldn't be acting this way if it wasn't for what she h
256“No thanks, sheriff. Just take my statement and I'll get going.” Claire spoke, but the sheriff insisted she take the almonds first. He was acting weird. He was being extraordinarily friendly and dusted the chair before she sat down too. She heaved because she knew the root cause. Although she was the daughter of a well-respected man in the country, she was being well-treated because of her connection with Hunter.Through her the Sheriff wanted to impress Hunter. Quelling down her frustration, she glared at Alexa... The culprit behind all this. Alexa shrugged with an apologetic look as she tried to speak with the sheriff. "Sir, we were at Paragon Mall shopping... And our friend was just attacked in the parking lot. Someone put a knife to her throat."Yara stood behind Claire, holding her shoulders. She nodded her head to confirm Alexa was telling the truth before she removed Claire's hair out of her shoulder and neck. "See here. It's not big but it could have been dangerous."
255 "What do I want?" The man chuckled behind the mask. He trailed the tip of the knife on Claire's jaw and pierced the tip back on the pulse at her throat. She gasped and shivered as the man laughed. "It's not about what I want— it's about what they want... And they want to see her bleed." Claire gulped, listening to the man carefully. She was in tears, her nerves were frayed, but she could infer someone had sent the man to scare her. Yes, it was supposed to scare her because the man had enough time to kill her but he hadn't.He was taking his time to frighten the girls. His hold on the knife didn't indicate that he meant to slit her throat. It was a facade. "Who is it? Who wants my blood?" Claire asked and the man was taken aback. "I was warned about that mouth of yours!" He sniggered. "They weren't wrong." "Who is it? Is it... Zara?" Claire guessed and the man froze. He stared at her, and those eyes looked familiar. She was thinking where she saw them when the man shook her
254Two days later,"Do you really think this suits me? I... Don't really like the... Color! It looks dull on me." Her voice wavered with doubt as she peered at herself in the mirror."You are looking like a glass of hot chocolate! Trust me, every other woman at the party is going to be jealous of you, Claire. Just choose this dress!" Yara exclaimed with glimmering eyes. The girls have come to a mall to buy dresses for themselves for an informal party organized by Prince Rashid. Although the official gathering to introduce projects was postponed to the end of this month, he expressed his desire to meet and greet everyone in person to know everyone better before getting down to the real business. He was being charitable too given he sent out gift cards and opportunities to women to shop from famous brands for the party. The men were sent tailored suits to choose from, and the party was held at the biggest banquet hall in Bloomcrest— White Pearl. It was not usually available for book
253Rashid stood beside his wife as he smiled at Hunter. A hand going around Kareena, he kissed her hair and admired his daughter giggling in his friend's arms. While Hunter was fidgeting with her, she seemed happy. "Her name is Nour, the light of our eyes." Rashid said. Hunter's body was alight with emotions that brought tears to his eyes. A baby... He was holding a baby! The feeling of having a bundle of joy in arms, at first, brought sadness and a reminder of the baby he and Claire lost. Wouldn't he have been this big— in Claire's belly? As he looked at Nour, the feelings in his heart were replaced with happiness and warmth. He forgot about his grief and hesitantly lifted a finger to caress her chubby cheek. "Hey, baby." Hunter whispered and Nour gave out a squeal of joy at him. "She's only that happy around her father, Hunter. She cries in other men's arms. But it looks like she likes you." Kareena stated as she came closer to touch the head of her daughter. The minute she