89"I never thought I would say this but, boss, I think Zara is trying to keep you around her." Reggie commented while pressing the button to summon the cabin. "Hallucinations or not, she was acting in ways that would have required your intervention anyway. You weren't there but we saw her throwing stuff and acting violent with the nurses." Reggie's eyes hardened as old images replayed in his mind, "For a moment I felt like she wasn't the sophisticated lady I had heard she was. It was like I was meeting a completely different person who was not Zara Levine but someone else in her skin."Penny's fingers curled tightly around the railing as her eyes twinkled in appreciation for Reggie. "Yes, Reggie! Nice observation. At least there is someone with sharp eyes. You can catch Zara before your imbecile boss." She whispered to herself, concentrating on their convo. "No offense, sir. But I think it's her old feelings coming up on the surface. Zara had a forced marriage with a man she had ne
90"Hell! I wanted to listen more." She sucked in a breath and kicked her right foot angrily. Eavesdropping on Hunter's conversation had surprisingly reduced her pain. Though the sporadic bursts of currents she felt in her arm persisted, the pain overall had become tolerable. That realization made Penelope climb down the steps and make her way out. She hailed a cab and came back home. Her mind was occupied by Hunter's conversation with his guards that she couldn't silence. Even if Penelope endeavoured to distract her mind to do something else, it jumped back to the memory in the hospital near the elevator chambers. By the time evening crept in, pain in her head became more intense than the one in her hand. She felt an urge to reduce it by sharing what she heard in the hospital with someone.Alas, there was no one who she could discuss Hunter MacIntyre and his unfiltered confession with. Everyone else beside Claire despised him in the Argent family. They would pay to see him sufferin
91"Yeah!!!" Penny went wide-eyed at Claire's accuracy. "And you thought I'd skip my dinner if I heard about him?" Claire blew out a breath in incredulity for Penny shrunk back like she was afraid that Hunter's topic will affect her friend. "Come on, Penny, you need to get it straight that it's over. I have moved on.""I don't care if he plays a caretaker for that slút or feeds her with his own hands. My heart has hardened. It doesn't ache over their mention any more. It's just... Just..." Claire didn't know how to describe the hollow feeling she felt over Hunter's mention. "It's hard to explain but, Penny," She inhaled sharply. "Stop worrying about me. It doesn't hurt any more. I'm fine.""Oh wait, wait, wait," Her eyes narrowed accusingly. "Is it because of Hunter you didn't let me come with you?" Penelope's bad habit of biting and nibbling her lips on getting caught was on projection. "Oh hell, you are ridiculous, Penny! Of all people I didn't expect you to treat me like a child
92Two days flew by since Penelope shared Hunter and Reggie's conversation with Claire. No matter how hard she tried, the words remained as freshly echoing in her mind as if it was said not two minutes ago. She behaved normally around her family like she was happy and unfazed but in isolation her heartstrings tugged a little in memory of Hunter and how those words may have sounded in his voice. Currently she was sitting in her father's study alone. Dominic had sent out for her. But when she arrived, he was not there. So she decided to wait in his comforting workspace that was also going to be her own workspace soon. Since Claire savored the environment in her father's study room, he merrily invited her to share it with him. It was a small sanctuary of peace and backed with the latest technology. It was designed in a way that whenever a person walked inside, the sensors would go on and start playing fine meditation or other related music to promote engaging working environment. The
93Exhilarated and thrilled, Claire boastfully raised her invisible collars, "Soon, sir. And you will be the first one to know." Then she threw her head back, bursting in a fit of laughter. Her father joined her. Later on Claire spent long dedicated hours in her father's company as he gave her some life-changing advices. She noted them and accepted references he made of experienced people, who he thought could give her some insightful knowledge on how to start her company. After all, it's not a cake walk to begin a new company and succeed with it too. One needs advice and stories of success and perseverance to strengthen their spirits. The road to success is never straight. It is full of obstacles and bumps one has to avoid and tackle to reach the destination. For the upcoming five days, she was occupied in conducting and attending meetings with people Dominic referred to. She was utterly indebted to him provided that through his reference she was able to build connections and re
94The lines of exhaustion and dark circles under their eyes spoke of their struggles in their previous working environment. Jasmine Burlow, who worked for a successful company, had a fever when she came to attend the meeting that day in the coffee shop. She had even cried because her old company was oppressing her with loaded work. Since Claire promised to give her a peaceful work culture as their team was going to be of limited number of professionals, with no impending work pressure, Jasmine caught the opportunity with her teeth and was the first one to come to office when the location was shared on their chatting group. "If you are in with a partnership with TNR company, raise your hands."Kent opted to vote by hand and no one voted in favor of working with TNR except for him. "You guys are ridiculously crazy!" He let out an indignant sigh and departed. The team watched him with shock as he almost slammed the door. The silence that followed left Jasmine with a ghostly white fa
95"Do you remember Professor Feanis who taught us Engineering Material?" Kent's face was aglow with nostalgia as he sipped from the glass of his wine. "That professor with a black birthmark on his left cheek? Who will forget him. He taught less and conducted tests more." Claire said with flickering lashes as she expressed her distaste over remembering him. She rolled some noodles around the fork and lifted it to her mouth. Then she gave an amused tilt to her eyebrows and said with a grin, "But you were his favorite! In fact, you were every professor's favorite. Mr. Topper!" Kent responded to her with a small laugh while Claire rolled her eyes. She raised another bite of Scallion oil noodles and moaned. The food was good and as they relieved old college memories, it tasted even better. They had crashed into a traditional Chinese restaurant where the seating arrangement was made on the cushioned floor with a circular table between them. The walls were painted soft green, and mounted
96Claire closed her eyes in reflex as his hand stretched out. The memory of that day in hospital when he had slapped her consumed her being. She thought he was going to do the same so to prepare herself for the following pain, she stiffened her body and waited for it. Much to her shock, his smothering fingers banded around her elbow and peeled her off Kent's body. His roughness snapped her eyelids apart. Her gaze fell on his face and the stony look left her muscles twitching. Claire couldn't protest him because of her shock as he pulled her behind his back and gripped the front of Kent's shirt. Yanking him near his face, Hunter growled. "Keep your distance from her. Next time I see you within a five-metres radius of her, you will be a charred meat." He rumbled and let go.The moment was thick with tension and both Claire and Kent were in a state of daze. They were still trying to compose from the shock of Hunter's unexpected arrival, talk less of responding to his dark threats.The
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
194Shawn brought his mother to a restaurant located in a remote area with quiet surroundings. It took them about an hour, except that Tia wasn't fazed one bit. The sound of crickets served as background music. Tia was impressed by the warm atmosphere. She walked with her hand around Shawn's arm not like his mother, but like a friend.She was thrilled to see eyes following her and Shawn. Some women stopped all motion to take a glance. When Shawn pulled a chair for her, she heard a woman from the neighboring table praising her hairstyle. They ordered a five course meal. Before it arrived, Shawn excused himself to go to the restroom. He paid the waiter who took their order to praise his mother's beauty. When he came back to their table, the waiter followed suit. He brought a bottle of wine with two flutes and smiled politely at Tia.He gazed at Shawn and Tia with a bow and repeated the words he was directed to deliver, "Sir, madam, you are our fiftieth couple of the night. We have thi
193. At Murphy mansion,Tia glanced at the clock on the wall with a frown. Then her gaze shifted to the door as she impatiently turned the pages of the magazine in her lap. She seemed annoyed by something but was surprisingly quiet, not taking it out on anyone like she was accustomed to.Shawn, who was sitting next to her, was perturbed by her behavior. It wasn't in his mother's nature to stay quiet while she was annoyed. She would rather split the house apart with her loud screams and scoldings."Someone is constantly checking the clock and staring at the door. Is someone precious expected?" He gave a girly gasp to irritate Tia and added, "Maybe a lover who is supposed to visit behind dad's back!""Damn, dad will be so exasperated. Grandma will be more furious than him, knowing that her daughter-in-law is cheating on her son." He seemed to think deeply while stroking his jaw. "What would she do if I told her? Kill mom? Nah, that'd be the easiest way of punishing her." He talked to h