Part 85

"Aren't you going back to the city?" Gladwin asked as they enjoyed lunch on the porch of Claire's rented room.

"Why?" Claire replied flatly.

"Aren't you bothered by how much money you're spending every night on this room?" her twin asked, mouth full. Claire just shrugged in response. "I know you're loaded, but that doesn't mean you should waste your money like this. Instead of spending it on lodging, why not donate some to your poor, struggling student of a brother?" he said, grinning.

Claire raised an eyebrow, looking at Gladwin with a mocking gaze. "Don't forget your share of the inheritance is way bigger than mine," she replied, making Gladwin laugh.

After lunch, Claire finally decided to check out. Gladwin, who had driven over in his own car, tempted his twin with a brief trip to a strawberry-picking farm. Naturally, Claire was thrilled at the idea.

It was late afternoon by the time they reached Gladwin's private residence—an apartment in the heart of the city, quite a distance from both Claire's home and their parents' place. Claire felt reluctant to return to her own home, wanting to avoid seeing Antony for a while.

Gladwin's apartment had two bedrooms, and this was Claire's second visit in years. The first time had been when Gladwin had just bought the place and it was completely empty. Now it was furnished with a few essentials, a casual style that perfectly matched her twin's personality.

"Did you hire an interior designer?" Claire asked, settling onto the leather sofa facing the TV.

Gladwin shook his head and mentioned a name with a chuckle. Claire stared at her twin in disbelief. She knew the person he'd named was also a medical school graduate, just like him.

"Are you sure he did this himself, and got such good results?" she asked doubtfully, but Gladwin only shook his head again.

"He got help from his girlfriend, who happens to be a design student," he explained, making Claire's eyes go wide before she rolled them dramatically.

"You guys are just... unbelievable," she said, her tone laced with sarcasm.

"Unbelievable how?" Gladwin asked, curious.

"Complete jerks! You all love using people who are into you," Claire retorted, making Gladwin laugh.

"Sister, you need to know that there are only two types of men in this world."

"If they're not gay, then they're a jerk like you," Claire interrupted, earning an approving nod and a playful wink from her twin, while she just rolled her eyes. "Where am I sleeping tonight?" she asked, standing up and glancing at the two doors facing each other.

"That's my room," Gladwin pointed to the door on his right. "The other room is empty; anyone who stays here uses it. But there's no bathroom there, so if you need one, you'll have to go through the kitchen." Claire nodded in understanding and walked toward the door he'd indicated.

"You can sleep in the living room if you want," Claire said as she entered Gladwin's room, planning to invade his space, leaving Gladwin shaking his head and opting to head into the kitchen to prepare food for both of them.

They decided to have dinner in front of the TV. "I heard from Antony that you submitted your resignation letter. Are you really planning to quit your job?" Gladwin asked nonchalantly.

Claire shrugged while shoveling food into her mouth. "What else did he say?" she inquired, her tone casual but curious.

Gladwin smirked, about to reply, when the phone on the table in front of him began to ring.

"Your boyfriend really has great timing," he said, swiping the green button on his flat screen and putting it on speakerphone. "Yeah?" he answered, placing the phone back on the table and turning down the volume on the TV.

"Any news on Claire yet?" Antony's voice came through, sounding impatient. Claire glanced at her brother, who was trying to stifle a laugh.

"I told you she'd come back on her own. Even a kitten knows where its home is, let alone Claire. Just be patient a little longer," Gladwin replied, receiving a pinch on his upper arm from Claire in return.

How could her twin compare her to a cat?

"I know she'll come back on her own. But when?" Antony pressed. "More importantly, I need to know where she is. Is she okay?"

"Oh God, Sir," Gladwin muttered, glancing at his twin. "Even if you left her in the wilderness, she'd still manage to survive. Especially if you left her in the city. With all the conveniences around, she'd be even better off."

"Enough already, don't worry about her so much. I can assure you, sooner or later, she will come back," Gladwin continued, still speaking in a relaxed tone. "But, Sir," he said, causing Claire to shoot him a look. "If she's still missing by Saturday next week, I suggest you look for a backup fiancée." This earned him a glare from Claire beside him.

"Gladwin!" Claire exclaimed softly, glaring at her twin.

"She might have left because she doesn't want to be engaged to you and is using your behavior as an excuse so she doesn't have to come up with a breakup speech," Gladwin added, unfazed by Claire's glare and pinches.

"Is that so?" Antony asked, sounding downcast. His voice was clearly filled with doubt.

Claire now looked back and forth between her twin and the still-active phone. What if Antony truly thinks she doesn't want him? she screamed inwardly.

"Yeah, that could be it. Claire is someone who can't bear to hurt anyone. Maybe her kindness towards you all this time is just because she can't bring herself to hurt Flavia," Gladwin said.

"Gladwin! You know that's not the case!" Claire exclaimed without realizing how loud she had gotten.

Gladwin laughed, while Antony called out for Claire from the phone on the table.

"Claire? Are you there? Gladwin, is Claire with you?" the man asked in disbelief.

Gladwin simply responded to that question with laughter, while Claire chose to hang up on Antony immediately.

"Why did you hang up?" Gladwin asked, wiping tears from his eyes from laughing so hard.

"What do you mean by that?" Claire exclaimed, annoyed.

"I mean no harm; I just enjoy teasing you two," he replied with a mischievous grin. "Besides, you're both adults. Why are you playing hide-and-seek like this? If there's a problem between you two, you should resolve it by talking to each other, not by playing this ridiculous game. What you're doing is excessive, Claire. You're acting like you're in a long-winded drama with no idea when it will end.

"Listen to me," Gladwin said seriously. "You should be grateful that Antony is head over heels for you. He's been searching for you until all the hair on his body falls out from stress. If Antony didn't love you this much, he could easily look for another woman out there to take your place. I'm sure many women would want to be the companion of a billionaire widower like him. If that happens, will you let him go?" Gladwin's eyes were fixed on Claire, his expression sharp.

Claire didn't respond; instead, she bit her lower lip, feeling confused.

"Just imagine, besides being a billionaire, he's handsome—though not as handsome as me—and he's already an adult. Much more mature than us, age-wise. Do you really think he would stick around with a woman full of drama? I wouldn't want to put up with you, as if there were no better or prettier women out there."

"Gladwin!" Claire exclaimed, annoyed.

"That's why," Gladwin raised his index finger to Claire's temple. "Use your brain properly. Just because your mind is currently filled with love doesn't mean you can't think logically." His comment earned him a pout from Claire.

Claire was about to respond to her brother when the doorbell of the apartment rang. They both turned their heads in unison, then looked at each other with furrowed brows, puzzled.

"Who is it?" Claire asked her twin.

"How would I know? Do you think I have x-ray vision? Even Superman isn't that great," he muttered as he walked toward the door to see who the unexpected guest was.

"Waaaw..." he exclaimed from the door. Claire turned her head and was taken aback to see who had arrived.