The other employees returned to work once David left. Only Thomas, Claire, and Raina remained in the training room by then. That was when Raina snapped out of her daze, ran toward Claire, and gave the latter a thumbs up. “You’re amazing, Claire! That’s the most gallant and dashing thing anyone has ever done. I’d fall for you big time if I were a man!”Raina had a lively temper, so she chattered away and even imitated Claire’s actions from earlier, arrogantly saying, “You have no choice but to suck it up even if you’re unhappy with this outcome!”The former’s enthusiasm amused Claire, whose features softened as she put on a pretend frown to nag, “That’s enough, now. Come on, you should take Thomas to get his injuries tended.”Only then did Raina recall Thomas got punched twice by Nicholas earlier. It was because she happened to be in the way that Thomas rushed to her rescue, getting struck in the end. Not wanting to delay anymore, Raina hurriedly got a medical kit and asked someone expe
Claire knew David would never accept defeat that easily. Confidence gleamed in her eyes as she thought, “He doesn’t scare me. So what if he tries to get revenge? He can come at me because I’ll be ready for his attacks. No one frightens me, Claire Weiss—and I certainly won’t go easy on a twisted scumbag like him!”That afternoon, she got Thomas to tidy himself up before visiting the head director of Esret Skin. Once they arrived at the company, Claire briefly explained the hiring situation and endorsement details to Thomas. Soon, Henry, the secretary, led the two to the head director’s office upstairs. He knocked on the door and informed, “Ms. Zachman, Thomas Bjorn, and his manager have arrived.”“Send them in.” With that, Jayda set her work aside and looked up at her two visitors.“It’s nice to meet you. That’s Thomas, and I’m Claire, his manager,” Claire greeted while flashing a polite smile as one should toward an influential figure. Before she arrived, she had already researched th
Now they had settled things, the plan was to discuss hiring fees and photoshoot details. The three quickly got to work, and before signing the contract, Jayda requested Thomas to do some trial shots with their photographer. Claire and Thomas complied at once.Time flew by. Eventually, they wrapped up their discussion, and Claire shot a look at Thomas, hinting to him, “Give them your best performance. I’m rooting for you!” To that, Thomas no longer felt anxious. He nodded at her as though saying, “Got it, Claire. I’ll do my best!”The trio soon arrived at the studio, where many employees prepared the equipment and got ready to watch Thomas do the shoot. Some were also Esret Skin’s executives that didn’t root for him during the company meeting. Many were still bitter about losing their choice of male stars to Thomas, so they waited at the studio, hoping to see him fail. Yet, once the cameras started snapping away, Thomas erupted with confidence. That enhanced his already perfect looks,
The party had started, and many guests were already there. Some exchanged casual conversations in pairs or trios. Handsome and beautiful individuals filled the space, catching the eyes of the other guests.However, once Javier and Claire strolled into the party arms in arms, everyone fell into a stupor. Their interested gazes locked onto the gorgeous couple, first staring at Javier before settling on Claire. They noticed Javier wore a tailored suit to fit his muscular body well. Standing next to him was Claire in a lilac cocktail dress. Strands of her hair fell perfectly, framing the sides of her face and highlighting her delicate features in a beguiling manner. To compliment that, she wore mascara that made her lashes more noticeable but not too heavy or clumpy. Everything about her seemed to move in slow motion as she elegantly looked around the room. Seeing the two together made everyone stifle a gasp as they felt the couple were a match made in heaven.Annoyance sparked in Javier w
Seeing an awkwardly shifting Claire, Javier met her gaze and asked, “Aren’t you coming?”Claire nodded, her feet picking up the pace to follow behind Javier.Hattie was about to ask what was so critical that Javier needed to deal with, but he left with Claire before she could. Standing alone, she frowned as they departed arm in arm, wondering, “The more I look at those two, the more I feel they’re closer than they claim to be.” Shawn couldn’t stand seeing the former so miserable, so he tried cheering her up. “Come on, Hattie. Why don’t we go and enjoy some wine—”“No, thank you. You can go alone.” After saying that, Hattie marched off angrily, leaving Shawn behind.A bitter chuckle came from Shawn as his shoulders slumped. Even his eyes dulled with a hurtful look. In the end, he picked up a wine glass and downed its contents in one sip.…When Javier mentioned he had something to do, he meant helping Claire connect with other influential figures. He led her to speak with several guest
“I see, so you’re Thomas’ manager. You’re as great at your job as the rumors say,” Carlyle exclaimed, admiration pouring from his eyes. That was because he had heard about Claire trending online for her gender bend photoshoot. Her and Thomas’ photos became the talk of the town for some time, so anyone who mentioned Thomas’ name would naturally know about Claire. Claire never imagined she would gain some fame in her life. If she hadn’t heard it from Carlyle, she wouldn’t have believed others saw her as a famous figure online. Feeling slightly awkward, she waved him off, saying, “People are exaggerating. I’m not that great.”Carlyle begged to differ, his eyes meeting hers with the utmost sincerity. “I think you’re too humble. Despite your young age, you resuscitated Thomas’ reputation from the dead. Not anyone can do that. I mean it—you’re incredible.”Thomas’ words didn’t sound like empty brags or flattery; rather, he spoke from his heart. Thus, Claire could only accept his compliments
Shawn poured himself another glass of wine. He indulged in its fragrance that lingered between his lips, staining his teeth. Before he knew it, he had drunk too much and could no longer see clearly. Even the sight of Javier and Claire became blurry figures in his eyes. A chuckle came from his lips at the thought of them smiling at each other earlier. At the same time, he mused, “How funny. Javier will never see Hattie as worthy of him, yet he’s happy to settle for Claire.”…As the party gradually ended, several of the guests began leaving. Javier noticed how tired Claire looked, so he took her home before it got later. By then, Claire felt so tired she sank her back against the car seat and slept.Soon enough, they arrived outside Javier’s villa. Seeing Claire still lounging in the car, Javier couldn’t help smiling and raising a brow while he asked, “Well? Aren’t you getting out? Or do you want me to carry you home?”Upon hearing that, Claire forced her eyes to open. Despite her ble
Javier finished bandaging Claire’s wounds quickly. Just as he was finishing up, Patty came in with two glasses of warm milk and set the glasses in front of them.“It’s late. Have some milk and get to bed early,” she said warmly. When neither of them moved, she added to Javier, “Sir, I’ve seen a lot of things in my life. I hope you don’t think I’m sticking my nose into your affairs, but I think it’s better if you guys keep your bedroom activities in the bedroom. Ollie is old enough to understand, after all.” Then, she turned to Claire and said, “Madam, it’s cold tonight. Keep your clothes on.”Claire nodded awkwardly. She wished that the ground could open up and swallow her whole. Patty had clearly misunderstood what they were doing. She glared at Javier. “This is all your fault. I’m so embarrassed!”She didn’t know how she would face Patty or anyone else for that matter. This was so embarrassing!Javier gave her an exasperated look. “What is there to be embarrassed about? You’re my wi
Hattie looked extremely sincere in her pleading. However, when Sofia did not answer or even look at her, she began to lose confidence. Sofia's face was impassive. "Hattie, I've known you since you were a baby, but I can't help you with this. Please leave." She did not want to discuss the other stuff with her yet.However, Hattie was obstinate. She looked at her with tears in her eyes. "Aunt Sofia, please, please help me. I know it's not much trouble for you, but it can save our entire family. You've always been so kind to me. I promise that the Snyder family will repay you for your kindness!"Hearing this, Sofia felt uncomfortable. She raised her head and gazed at her coldly. "In this case, Hattie, I'll tell you why I won't help you," she said impatiently. "Do you really not know what you've done? I won't say it, but I know exactly what you've done to Ollie. You deserve everything that's happening to you now."Hattie widened her eyes, partly in shock and partly in disbelief when she h
Javier paused outside the door and waited until Claire left before giving his subordinates a look. They understood perfectly and grabbed Chantelle at once.As Javier had ordered, they were to send this woman abroad as far away as possible and leave her to fend for herself.Outside the hotel, Claire looked up at the sky blankly. She felt like a huge burden had been taken off her shoulders; for the first time in a long time, she felt relieved of all the hurt that she had suffered five years ago. Turning back, she told Javier, "Thank you, Javier, for allowing me to face my fears. I feel so relieved now."Javier's expression fell when he heard her thank him. He tapped her on the nose fondly in exasperation. "What are you talking about? Of course, I won't let those who hurt you get off so easily. They have to pay for what they have done."Claire was touched to see him so protective of her. A surge of warmness spread in her chest as she gazed at him fondly. "I'm lucky to have you, Javier."T
That was all Armand could think of.In just a few minutes, Chantelle admitted to everything she had done to Claire over the past few years.From drugging Claire out of jealousy and getting a stranger to assault her to getting Liam to banish her abroad, she admitted to everything. Claire knew some of them, but not all; only now did she know the extent of her crimes.When she was finished, everyone in the room sported conflicting expressions. Liam looked especially hurt and remorseful. It turned out that his younger daughter had always been evil, and he had wrongfully blamed Claire for all these years.Armand, on the other hand, didn't know how to feel about all this. He glanced at Claire and Javier. He felt that he really didn't deserve Claire, after all he had done. He had thought Chantelle to be kind and naive and had trusted her blindly to the point that he almost married her.Thank goodness the wedding didn't happen. Even so, he had lost Claire thanks to this. It made him regret eve
If Chantelle told Claire the truth about what happened that night, then there would be nothing stopping her from having a happily-ever-after with Javier.Back then, driven by jealousy, she had drugged Claire and put her in Javier's bed without their consent. She had planned all of this out herself meticulously. She had gotten Armand to catch Claire in the act so that he would call off the engagement and be with her instead. Liam banished Claire abroad to fend for herself. However, if she had known that the random stranger she had arranged to assault Claire was Javier, she never would've done it.Even so, it was a perfect plan worthy of a blockbuster film. Claire and Javier never found out the truth, nor did they know that Ollie was actually Javier's son.It took them two years of skirting around each other only to find out that they were meant to be in the first place. Now that the truth was out, Claire would not settle for prison as a punishment for the cause of all her suffering. Sh
After a lot of persuasion, Claire and Sofia finally managed to get Ollie to agree to stay in the hospital for another three days.Of course, three days weren't enough. Sofia and Pedro tried everything they could to convince Ollie to stay in the hospital for as long as possible.However, Ollie was smart enough to see through their ruse. He felt guilty when he saw them trying to cajole him into staying, so one day, after another attempt, he spoke up hesitantly, "Grandma, Grandpa, I'm glad that you're trying to keep me happy, and I'm touched that you're concerned about me, but I've been in the hospital for too long and it's making me sad. I promise that I'll listen to the doctor even when I'm at home, okay?" Under his bright, clear gaze, Sofia's protests died in her throat, leaving only exasperation and wordless sorrow.Ollie was too mature for his age. How could they not love him?Therefore, Ollie got his wish and was discharged three days later. In order to take care of Ollie, Sofia an
Hearing this, Javier narrowed his eyes. He felt like he was on the verge of grasping something, but the feeling passed too quickly for him to register it. Softening his tone, he said, "There's no need to be scared, Ollie. We're all right here with you. We'll protect you no matter what happens. Can you tell me what you remembered?"Ollie might have regained his memories from before he'd been drugged.Buoyed by the encouragement, Ollie thought hard for a moment and said with a frown, "I … I remember a lady beating me. She locked me up and didn't let me eat anything while saying bad things about me and Mommy all the time. I wanted to fight back, but I was too weak. After I tried to run, she caught me and beat me up some more and forced me to eat food off the floor." Toward the end of this, Ollie burst into tears.Claire's heart hurt for him. She wanted to hug him, but Javier got there first."Tell me, Ollie, do you know her name?" Javier's voice was thick with tears as well. "Do you remem
With that, Henry threw a glance at the rest of the employees and hurried them out. He also dragged Raina and Thomas out with him, leaving only Claire and Javier's parents to keep him company.Since it was only a small procedure for Javier, he did not get a lot of anesthesia. He tried to wriggle his body a little. Realizing what he was doing, Claire quickly helped him sit up.Javier did not look like he had just come out of surgery. Thanks to his strong physique, he looked fine.Seeing this, Sofia finally eased up a little on her worries. "How are you feeling, Javier?"Javier shook his head. "I'm fine, Mom. I just need some rest. How about Ollie? Did they say when he'll wake up?" He already knew that the surgery was a success, so he wanted to know when he would be able to see Ollie."Randy said that Ollie will be out for some time, but he's fine," Claire replied. Javier nodded. He, too, finally eased up on the tight knot of worry that was weighing his chest.Once he was sure that Javie
The surgery took three hours.As time went by, Claire got more and more anxious. However, there was nothing she could do but wait.In the end, Sofia was the first to crack. She went up to Claire and said anxiously, "Claire, are you sure that Dr. Xenos is good? It's been three hours, why aren't they out yet? I have a bad feeling about this."Claire wasn't exactly relaxed either, but she didn't show it. She gathered her thoughts and comforted Sofia. "Everything will be fine, Mrs. Marquez. Randy is a well-known surgeon, I'm sure he knows what he's doing. Don't worry." She wanted to reach out to comfort her, but in the end, she just sat there with an awkward expression. This was probably how their relationship would be in the foreseeable future—awkward and distant.Pedro watched their interaction with an air of knowingness. "Stop crying, Sofia," he said. "They're fine, you don't have to cry about them. Claire's still pregnant, don't upset her."Sofia was about to get angry about his admoni
At that, Javier narrowed his eyes dangerously.The Weiss family wasn't in a stable condition right now, so it wouldn't be hard for him to take revenge on Claire's behalf. Now that he knew the truth of what had happened, he had to find a way to punish the perpetrators.The news that Ollie was Javier's biological son quickly spread, especially after Sofia held a party in celebration. In fact, it made headlines the day before Ollie's scheduled surgery.Javier wasn't surprised about it. He had been looking for an opportunity to announce it to the public so that there wouldn't be unsightly rumors that would affect Claire. Claire, on the other hand, felt a little uncomfortable about the announcement. After all, she had always been a private person; she didn't want anyone to disturb her peaceful life.After a while, though, she got used to it.The most important contributor to this was that it benefited Ollie. From now on, he wasn't a fatherless child anymore. He could tell anyone who would l