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6. Brother in law

Penulis: Queen Ash
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2024-12-13 21:03:55

Clara's POV

"Oh, I don't mean any offense, but honestly, I was surprised to see you here in that ridiculous outfit. By the way, what are you doing? Do you work as their sales girl?" Zoe chuckled softly.

I noticed the sarcasm reflected in her gaze.

"Whatever I do is none of your business, Miss Sinclair. Excuse me, I have to go back." I cut her off; I didn't want to have any conversation with her.

But Zoe stopped me just as I was ready to leave her. She raised her left hand in front of my face, and the breathtaking diamond ring that was on her finger immediately drew my attention.

"Call me Mrs. Morgan." She said with delight, "Isn't this beautiful? This is not our official wedding ring, but James insisted I purchase it. He said it would look very beautiful on my finger."

The ring was indeed gorgeous, with a large diamond that sparkled brilliantly. The cost must have been very high. I held my clothes tightly, the weight of my wedding ring still resting on my finger.

And It was just a couple of days left until I would remove it forever.

"He's right. That's beautiful, Zoe. Excuse me I have to go back to work."

"Hold on, Clara. Honestly, what's wrong with you? Why are you so desperate to avoid me? You haven't even answered me whether you work for them or not."

She insisted, "Oh, but am I even asking you? I should've known. James might have put a hold on your card, doesn't he? You can't spend his money anymore and now you have to end up with a low job like this! I even wonder where James met a woman like you and even made you his contract wife."

I clenched my fists tightly. Afraid if I'm not, it would fly to Zoe's face.

"Watch your mouth, Zoe. Even though we are married, it had never crossed my mind to use his money to splurge."

I knew there was no point talking to this woman, so I decided to hurry. I heard Zoe's voice again calling out.

"I suggest you go home. What if one of the reporters recognizes you? With your status now, you will only embarrass James."

My heart ached to hear that. Yet there was nothing I could say to deny it because everything Zoe said was true.

When I returned, the cluster of reporters had scattered, and James, along with his entourage, had departed as well.

I let out a breath of relief, grateful that I wouldn't have to face him again, as it would only intensify the ache in my heart.

"Is everything alright?" Emma asked, and she handed me a water bottle.

I accepted it and drank the water greedily.

"Clara, was the woman with your husband earlier... was she his ex you're referring to?" Emma asked her hand on my shoulder.

"Yes," I nodded. Emma's expression immediately changed when she heard me. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just heard that a woman is very rude and arrogant. A friend of mine who is a reporter mentioned that her on-camera demeanor contrasts sharply with her off-screen personality. Doesn't James at least think twice before divorcing you and choosing her instead?"

I could only give a thin smile. No matter what Zoe's personality is, she is the woman he loves and always will.

"Come on, let’s not think about it, Emma." I soothed her.

I knew Emma noticed the remnants of tears in my eyes no matter how I tried to hide it.

"Let's get back to our work," I said, and Emma nodded.

We wrapped up just as the sun dipped below the horizon, and our stand began to settle into a calm hush.

After hours of standing in heels, my muscles and joints felt achy. That's when our manager said that another important customer would be arriving to tour the place in fifteen minutes.

"Who is he?"

"A billionaire. We can't miss his visit; perhaps there's a car that catches his interest."

Emma and I exchanged a weary sigh upon hearing that. She and the others went back to the front to welcome the important customer, while I was asked to prepare a drink for him.

As I was about to serve the drink, an unexpected wave of anxiety washed over me.

I assured myself that James and Zoe had left, so it seemed unlikely that I would cross paths with them again.

"Clara, please serve it to Mr. Morgan." Bill, our boss, said.

I was walking when I suddenly halted at the mention of the name Bill spoke. Stuck in the moment, my gaze was locked on the customer.

Just like me, he rose from his chair and fixed his gaze on me.

Our customer is a very handsome and young man. He donned a sleek black suit that complemented his tall, athletic body perfectly.

"Clara?" His blue eyes widened.

I was at a loss for words because the man before me was none other than Keith Morgan, James' younger brother.

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  • Second Chance For Him?   7. Invitation

    Clara's POVKeith and I were both shocked to see each other here. From what I know, he was in charge of a international branch of Morgan's business group. He lives with James' grandfather.When did he get back? "Oh, hey Keith." I greet hesitantly, placing the drink on the table, "When did you come back?" "Yesterday." Keith offered a comforting smile that instantly eased the tension in the room. “Great to see you again, Clara. How are you? Are you with James now?"I know Keith noticed my uniform, yet he chose not to ask about it. I understand he wants to avoid further awkwardness and I genuinely respect him for that. "I'm doing well." I turned to Bill. "Now may I excuse myself? Some things need to be tidied up in the back." And as soon as he nodded, I quickly made my way back.Once the exhibition concluded and we wrapped up the cleaning, I was ready to head home with Emma when I noticed a sleek black Mercedes Benz parked in the lot. I squinted and spotted Keith gesturing at me.Af

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-14
  • Second Chance For Him?   8. Hurt me again

    Clara's POV"I'm talking to you, Clara; answer me. Have you gone mute?" James' tone was intense.When I dare to meet his gaze, all softness has vanished. His gaze was filled with nothing but disdain and revulsion as he looked at me."I-" I wanted to tell him that he had no power to stop me from leaving, especially since he had already made it clear that he chose Zoe.Did he forget what happened between us at the restaurant? But I felt like my lips were sealed tight."Hold on, I invited Clara because I thought you'd appreciate this, James; it's supposed to be a surprise. What happened between you two?"Keith glances back and forth between me and James, a look of confusion on his face.James didn't spare him a glance; his gaze remained fixed on me while I felt lost where to start.My pregnancy, Zoe's presence, our divorce..."Take it easy, love," Zoe put her hand on James' arm; she tried to soothe his anger. It did work. His expression softened instantly."I'm sure we can solve this pro

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-14
  • Second Chance For Him?   9. A secret

    Clara's POV"Oh James, my head is spinning, and it hurts," Zoe complained, pressing her temple where it had collided with the table. "I'm sorry, Zoe. I didn't see you at all," James calmed her down while trying to check on Zoe's condition.The moment James's demeanor shifted completely when he talked to Zoe, it felt as if I had been hit by a bolt of lightning, leaving me utterly speechless.The only thing that brought me back to awareness was this ache in my stomach. A wave of anxiety washed over me as I remembered the condition of my baby at that moment.'Stupid me! I have endangered my baby again!'"Are you alright?" I felt Keith's hand on my shoulder as he helped me stand up. Keith asked as he noticed my hand that was gripping my stomach tightly. "Where does it hurt?""My belly... I think it hit the table a little hard.." I responded with a stutter, trying to suppress the intensifying pain.Not long after, the waiters and a man who seemed to be the manager of this restaurant hurrie

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-15
  • Second Chance For Him?   10. My place

    Clara’s POV"I will, Clara. I promise this secret is safe with me." Keith finally said though I know his heart weighed down"Promise?" I extended my pinky. We sealed it with a pinky promise. We chuckled, realizing how we had transformed into little kids."I love seeing you laugh." Keith said. "Clara, may I touch your belly?"I nodded at his seemingly innocent demeanor. Keith placed his hand on my belly as if he could sense the baby moving inside."You can't feel it yet, Keith; at this moment, the baby is just about the size of a strawberry." I smiled, yet there was a heaviness in my heart, knowing that this moment belonged to James, not his brother."When will I be able to feel it move?""That's a few more months to go."Keith responded, "I'll be here when that day arrives, Clara."A few days later.I was relieved Keith at least kept his promise to keep my pregnancy a secret. This morning, after enjoying breakfast and preparing for my job interview at a famous bakery, I heard Emma hav

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-15
  • Second Chance For Him?   11. Heartless

    Clara's POVZoe finally noticed me in the doorway, her expression silent, yet she shot me, 'Are you surprised to see me here?' look.How could I have possibly missed the fact that I would likely see her again if I returned to this house?"Oh, you're finally here. Thank you, Eda, for bringing her to me, even though I had to wait for quite a while. Now you can leave us." Zoe saidEda seemed unsure, but in the end, she left with a look of regret. I fixed my eyes on Zoe; what new plan was she concocting this time?"So this is your new assistant that you hired, Zoe? Are you sure you still want to hire her? She's already late on her first day. Imagine how awful her performance moving forward."Even though Zoe's friend spoke in a low tone, every word was distinctly audible to me."And are you sure you want to hire such a young and beautiful housemaid? I don't mean to fan the flames, Zoe, but you know cases of bosses having affairs with their maids are quite common."I clenched my fists tightl

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-16
  • Second Chance For Him?   12. Dinner

    Clara's POVZoe's arms wrapped around his neck while his hands settled at her waist, pulling them closer together. The squelch of lips meeting filled the air, and in that instant, I wished I was deaf. My cheeks burned at the sight before me, but the most disturbing feeling was the tightness in my chest.'I don't love him anymore' I told myself.As they pulled away from each other, and James finally noticed my presence, I acted as if I hadn't seen a thing."James, check it out, look who's here," Zoe said, pointing in my direction."Don't forget, you were the one who invited me to come and discuss something."I said my intention before he assumed I wanted anything beyond the return of my apartment rights."Of course, I remember." He said nonchalantly."Wait, you two have something to talk about? What is that? Why do I know nothing about this?" Zoe glanced between James and me, her expression filled with intrigue about what we were up to.Seriously, why is this woman so invested in ever

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-18
  • Second Chance For Him?   13. Moment

    Clara's POVZoe's expression changed immediately upon hearing that; it was obvious she didn't want to sit at the same table as me. I’d rather skip dinner entirely than eat with them."James? Are you serious?" She asks.James took her hand and held it tightly "Of course, honey. What seems to be the issue?""Nothing, it’s just that this should be a moment for the two of us, right? Why must Clara join us as well?""Aren't we usually invite Eda to eat together as well? Does that disrupt our moment? Of course not, so what's the difference if we invite Clara too."James' answer confirmed my position in their eyes and that Zoe shouldn't worry at all. His words eased Zoe, evident in the smile that graced her lips."Ah, you're right. What are you waiting for, Clara? Have a seat and serve yourself, I know you're hungry too." Zoe remarked before redirecting her attention to her meal.I took my place in the seat opposite them but left the meal I had made untouched. No matter how hungry I was earli

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-20
  • Second Chance For Him?   14. His offer

    Clara's POV"What do you want?" I asked. Surprised to see him here at this hour.He nudged me back into the room, leaving me slightly puzzled about his intentions this time."I'm here to discuss things between us." He spoke and shut the door, leaving just the two of us in this space.I stepped back, it was just that being in the room with him felt different now. There was a tension I could not explain in the air, particularly since James was behaving as if we were still sharing our space."Sure," I glanced at the clock. "But it's already too late.""And I don't have time if I have to wait until tomorrow," James said.Oh, of course. How could I forget? he would be so occupied with his work and wouldn't have time for a problem that was trivial to him."Okay. Let's begin then. I want my apartment back, to be honest. I need it for a place to live." I said to him.With that apartment, I could at least help Emma get out of her toxic mom. If James just took it from me, where do I and Emma sh

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-12-21

Bab terbaru

  • Second Chance For Him?   219. No turning back

    James' POVI was glad to hear that Clara is back to her usual activities. It's good, it means she no longer feels down. Lily's in town, so I suppose that's why she was able to leave Layla. But when Lily gets back to LA, who’s going to look after Layla? Thinking about it, it's time to bring in a professional assistant for her. To look after Layla and ease Clara's responsibilities at home. I'm not sure if she'll go for it, but I'll bring it up with her later. Dain entered my study and said, "Sir." I intentionally asked him to come today. "Did you take Layla to school?" "Today, Mrs. Clara's cousin is the one driving her," Dain replied. I gave a nod. “Should I go to her school to pick her up this afternoon?” I think Clara has already asked Lily to grab Layla as well. Perhaps her cousin would like to hang out with Layla while she's in town. "No. Not necessary.""Alright, sir. Anyway, how was your dinner last night going?" Asked Dain.Oh, dinner last night. It was nearly flawless

  • Second Chance For Him?   218. To cross her

    Lily's POVToday I spend my time with Layla, and we make an awesome team. We got up early and went for a jog. We headed home for a quick shower and then went cafe hopping until noon. Later in the afternoon, we kept strolling through the city park. We just got home in the evening as Clara was getting ready to head out for dinner with James. Before she left, I made sure to remind her multiple times that she needed to call me if she sensed even the slightest hint of his behavior. I recall how that man used to treat her and to be honest, I didn't want my cousin to have dinner with him by herself tonight. But if I went with Clara, then who would look after Layla? Also, Clara asked me to stay home and look after her daughter. I didn't have any other option."Auntie, did you just call mommy?" Layla asked as I stepped back into the TV room. I sat down beside her on the carpet. She was focused on her Lego, completely tuning out the cartoon on the TV. "Yeah, I did. I just made sure to be re

  • Second Chance For Him?   217. The least

    Clara's POVEverything was going smoothly. James showed up, and I felt a wave of relief wash over me because we could finally begin our dinner before diving into the main topic tonight, to discussing the trip he wanted to take Layla on.But then the door swung open and Selena burst in. Yes, Selena. She's at the restaurant we were at. I’m not sure when she got here, but I didn’t notice her at all before. Her face was a mask of rage that was impossible to conceal. “You!" she snapped, pointing a finger at me. Her teeth clenched. "What did you do to Keith? How could you do all of this to my future husband?"Her voice trembled.I jumped up right away. Watching her on the brink of tears pulled at my heart, but just as I was about to reach out, Selena smacked my hand away forcefully."Answer me bitch!"Her words made James stand up immediately. And the atmosphere felt like it had shifted. Selena, who was saying something, fell silent under James's piercing gaze. She looked at him with des

  • Second Chance For Him?   216. Mother's request

    James' POVThe night to have dinner with Clara has finally arrived. I spent three hours getting ready, feeling pretty anxious, searching for the right word to persuade Clara to go along with this trip. This would be a good chance for me to connect with my daughter and learn more about her. And a chance to resolve what happened between Clara and me. No, I didn't expect her to just forgive me so easily. I just expected her to be more open to me.'Good luck trying to win her heart.' Keith's words rushed into my thoughts, and once more, I felt disheartened. I grabbed my phone and chose to call Dain. He accepted it a moment later. "How's it going, sir? How's everything going?""I haven't even gone yet. Do you think she’s going to give me this chance or not?" I hate sounding like a downer.But I really need to hear from Dain because he was the one who noticed Clara's reaction when she got the invitation to her apartment yesterday. Clara gave her agreement the very same day. She texted m

  • Second Chance For Him?   215. Tale to share

    Clara's POVWe headed to the airport this morning around eight and got there about thirty minutes later. I ensured we arrived on time so Lily wouldn't have to wait. Yeah, my cousin is alive here in NYC today. Lily mentioned it to me in our call just yesterday, saying she planned to surprise me."Clara!"I glanced over at the voice, spotting Lily rushing toward me. With a smile, I hurried over to her, and we embraced tightly. Lily wrapped her arms around me so tightly that I could feel my ribs nearly being crushed."Hey take it easy Lily! I can't breathe!" I coughed."Sorry. I’m just really excited to be here and see you again!" She exclaimed after we released our embrace. Lily then turned to Layla, who was standing beside me. She bent down to hug her too. “Hey sweetheart, it’s so great to see you again. You've grown so much." Lily asked when they let go of their embrace, "Do you miss me?" "Absolutely Auntie!" Layla exclaimed, "I've been waiting for you to arrive for so long, Aunt

  • Second Chance For Him?   214. What kind of devil?

    James' POV"Do you think it's good enough? Do you think Layla will like it?" I asked Dain for his thoughts.Fuck. Why is it harder than I expected to find a gift that fits Layla? I think it will be easy. But I've been reconsidering how Clara has managed to provide everything Layla needed, and my daughter is certainly not missing out on anything.So, I need to choose something unique and special.Something that will bring her joy when she receives this gift I gave her. I just wanted to see her smile again, to wipe away the sadness. It was annoying to see her sad, and I just couldn't stand it. "Hmm, I think this might be a little too much, sir. And besides we have to wait a few more years until she can drive the car on her own?" Dain looked at me with a puzzled expression.He glanced at the picture of the pink Mini Cooper on my laptop with a raised eyebrow and said, "I don't think this is a good idea." I nodded and shut the website down. I might just hand over the car to her when she'

  • Second Chance For Him?   213. The place he deserves

    Clara's POVNew York CityWe’ve been here for a week now since coming over from Paris. Even after that week, I still can't seem to get back into my work routine. I still feel anxious about leaving Layla alone like I usually do. My day starts with waking up, driving her to school, and then picking her up again when school is done.I just can't trust Dain to drive Layla anymore. James got us a bodyguard, but I said no. I just can't get comfortable with the idea of another stranger being close to my daughter, even if it's someone James trusts.I stepped into the apartment and shut the door behind me. Diana called earlier to say she would swing by after work, so I figured I’d prepare some snacks for her. "Layla you can change your clothes before grabbing a bite to eat. I'll whip up something for us to eat. Auntie Diana will swing by later too.""Okay, mommy." My daughter hurried to her room.In the meantime, I headed to the kitchen. I checked the cupboard and fridge to see what ingred

  • Second Chance For Him?   212. A vacation

    Clara's POVThe following morning finally arrived. The gentle sunlight poured in through the hotel window. I stretched my body and, getting up, walked over to the window. I drew back the curtain and looked out. The view outside my room instantly woke up my tired eyes.'What a beautiful city.'Of course. I'm in Paris right now. The wide array of buildings featuring beautiful classic architecture, the balconies of the apartments lining the street, and the lively hustle of the street below create a lively atmosphere. I think I have become so accustomed to the rigid vibe of New York that being here truly amazes me.I know I’d have a better time if we were here on vacation instead of trying to rescue my daughter from someone who attempted to kidnap her. With a sigh, I made my way to the bed."It's time to wake up Miss Sleepyhead, we're heading back today. We have to catch that flight."Layla extended her limbs. She let out a yawn for a moment, and when she replied, her voice carried a lin

  • Second Chance For Him?   211. A better father

    James' POV"Where is Clara?" I asked Arlo as soon as we got into the hotel. "She's in her room already, sir." I headed straight to Clara's room. I and Clara stayed in the same hotel but in separate rooms for sure. There’s so much I want to say to her right now. But the main thing was that I wanted to check in on her and Layla to make sure they were alright. When the police arrested the car where Layla was kidnapped, I didn't have the opportunity to check on her because I was too focused on Keith and Zoe.I got to Clara's room, but the door was firmly shut. I was just about to knock on the door when a thought crossed my mind—Clara probably didn’t want to be disturbed. Perhaps I should give her some space with her daughter.Following this traumatic event, she must be feeling hurt and deeply affected. Maybe she would like to have some time alone with Layla without any interruptions. I dismissed the urge to see or talk to her and turned and walked to my room, which was across from her

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