As she uttered her words, the staff lifted her gaze and regarded Claire with a combination of reservation and anticipation. It seemed as though Claire didn’t even need to confirm her identity—the staff already knew who she was.Claire was momentarily speechless, caught off guard by the staff’s attire. The medieval-style uniform was so fitting for the bed and breakfast ambiance. Charles definitely had an eye for detail.The staff noticed Claire’s bewildered expression and seemed concerned. “Ms. Weiss, are you okay? Are you feeling unwell?”Only then did Claire return to her senses and realize her gaffe. She immediately apologized. “I’m sorry. I must be too tired. I’m Claire Weiss. Sorry for the trouble.”The staff didn’t say much after that. She just nodded respectfully and led Claire inside the bed and breakfast. She couldn’t help but offer a brief introduction to the establishment as they walked. “Ms. Weiss, the Nuvola Palace owns this bed and breakfast. Mr. Yackley has instructed
The crucial element rested in the absence of any news about Claire and Javier. Could Javier have been lying to him all along about being his father? He must be a fake!The mere thought made Ollie shudder in fear, causing him to hide under his blanket. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Javier might barge in at any moment. He was plagued with uncertainty—what course of action should he take? Javier was not his father, and he had been misled. Now, with his mother gone as well, Ollie was left feeling lost and alone.After calming himself down, Ollie started to think of his next plan.Javier didn’t seem like a bad guy. In fact, he was caring toward Ollie. Ollie could sense that, but he couldn’t recollect his past with him. Even though there was a strong sense of familiarity, he also felt like a stranger. The most important thing for Ollie now that he knew Javier wasn’t his father, was to find his mother. He tried calling her, but her phone was always turned off. Ollie had asked Javi
When Ollie closed his eyes, Claire’s kind and gentle face appeared in his mind. He missed her a lot. Then, he helplessly sighed and slowly fell asleep while missing his mother.The next morning, Javier woke up very early. When he went downstairs, he noticed that Patty didn’t look well and was taken aback.“Patty?” Javier gently called out to her. When Patty heard him, she quickly adjusted her emotions and greeted, “Good morning, sir.”Javier frowned and asked, “Patty, what’s the matter? Did you encounter any trouble?”Patty had been with the Marquez family for years now. She could tell him if she encountered any problems, and he would be happy to help.However, Patty only felt even more nervous and quickly shook her head. “It’s nothing, sir. Really. You don’t have to worry about me.” Unfortunately, Javier’s expression darkened after hearing that. “Patty.” Javier’s tone had a warning as he called out her name again. Terrified, Patty knew Javier was angry, so she quickly adjus
Javier was brooding in the study, his cold stare unsettling Henry. He stood by his side quietly, avoiding eye contact.They had briefed him on Claire’s current whereabouts and were now standing by, waiting for Javier’s decision.Henry found it hard to believe that Claire had been in a car accident and fell off a cliff. Miraculously, a local farmer had found her and nursed her back to health.When they discovered Claire was alive, they quickly reported it to Javier. But Javier still did not react much, which made Henry nervous. He mustered up his courage and asked again in a trembling voice, “Mr. Marquez, what do we do now? Although Mrs. Marquez is safe now, it may not be safe for her to remain in the farmer’s house. Should we go and pick her up?”Javier loved Claire so much, and she was pregnant. Henry guessed that Javier would want to get her back quickly.After a moment of silence, Javier’s expression seemed to have improved. He nodded and said, “I’m glad she’s fine. Keep a cl
Feeling defeated, Javier remained in the car for some time before eventually deciding to get out and shuffling slowly upstairs.Henry observed Javier’s silhouette climbing up the stairs and had a fleeting feeling that he appeared tired and drained, even though it only lasted for a moment.He felt a surge of helplessness overcoming him. All Henry could do was make a silent vow to dispatch more men and locate Claire as soon as possible.However, Henry had no idea where Claire could be at the moment. He mused over the identity of the person who could skillfully dodge the surveillance of those on the dark web and vanish with her without a trace.At that time, Ollie was alone in his room on the second floor.He already had breakfast by then. As the little boy watched Javier sitting in the car while Henry stood outside the car with his head bowed silently, he couldn’t help but feel slightly perplexed.“Who on earth is that man? Why did he lie to me and claim that he’s my father? Also,
Javier was confident that Ollie would remember everything as long as he stayed with him and was well-treated.With that thought in mind, the man got up slowly, intending to leave the room.Unexpectedly, Ollie suddenly grabbed the corner of Javier’s shirt.The latter paused in his actions as he lowered his head to look at Ollie in confusion.“What is it, Ollie?”At that moment, Ollie raised his head to stare at Javier. It was as if he had just made an important decision as he inhaled deeply.Then, he asked meekly, “Dad, I’d like to ask you something. I hope that you can answer me truthfully.”Javier crouched down and pulled Ollie into a hug.Then, he nodded and replied in agreement, “Alright. I promise you that I’ll answer your question honestly.”It seemed that Ollie was about to have a heart-to-heart conversation with Javier. Naturally, the latter would do his best to answer everything truthfully and in full detail.Ollie bit on his fingers, looking like he didn’t know how t
The moment Javier noticed Hattie, his expression instantly became icy.Cold sweat started rolling down everyone’s backs when they noticed their boss’ expression.Anyone present would have sensed that Javier was enraged by Hattie’s presence.Soon, a massacre might break out in the office.When some employees noticed Javier’s expression, they shot Hattie looks of sympathy while thinking that she was in big trouble.Then again, Hattie deserved it. After all, she was the one who had acted like an arrogant queen who thought everyone should bow at her feet.As expected, Hattie was stunned when she noticed the change in everyone’s expressions. However, she quickly returned to her senses.The look of rage faded away instantly. She giggled softly before turning around to face Javier, having previously had her back to him.“Javier, you’re back. It’s torturous for me to spend such a long time waiting for you.”Hattie had already switched to an innocent and harmless expression at that tim
That slap was just a warning. Had Hattie chosen to control herself, her relationship with Javier was still salvageable.If she weren’t able to do that, Javier wouldn’t hesitate to be cruel to her.Even after knowing her for many years, the man still felt that he didn’t quite understand how manipulative Hattie was.Meanwhile, the woman reluctantly averted her aggrieved gaze once Javier’s silhouette completely vanished from her line of sight.She felt nothing but boiling rage.After sweeping her gaze across the crowd who had been enjoying the drama, Hattie spoke up in a warning tone that was lowered on purpose.“What are you all looking at? Don’t forget who you are. If any of you dare to utter a single word about today’s incident to anyone else, I want you to remember that I’m still the future Mrs. Marquez. Don’t blame me for dropping this reminder in advance.”Hattie had spent such a long time building her image. If this incident were to get out, her reputation would be ruined.
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