Outside, Roxanne Peyton was telling Stella Thorne about her brother Ian Peyton’s secret crush on Claire rcer.
Just then, Claire, who was busy in the kitchen, received a call from Ian.
She had no idea that Ian had feelings for her.
She had t Ian through Roxanne, but they didn’t know each other well.
Although they had exchanged contact information back then, they had barely kept in touch.
Plus, Ian had been abroad for the past two years handling the Peyton Group’s overseas business.
They saw each other less than once a year.
So, she was quite surprised when Ian suddenly called her.
"Hello, Ian."
Ian’s deep, refined voice ca through the phone.
"Claire, are you busy?"
Claire replied while keeping her hands busy.
"I’m making lunch."
Ian paused for a mont on the other end of the line before asking cautiously,
"I saw so news about you online."
"Are you okay?"
"I’m fine," Claire said, thanking him politely. "Thank you for your concern, Ian."
Ian said, "If you need help with anything, just ask."
After thanking him again, Claire said, "It’s okay, everything’s fine."
Just as she finished speaking, Adrian Sutton, who was beside her, asked,
"Claire, I’ve finished marinating the fish."
"Okay," Claire said to him.
"Just set it aside and let it absorb the flavor for a bit."
"And then can you chop the pickled peppers and ginger?"
"Sure." Adrian quickly moved to the pickled peppers and ginger. "Is this how you want them chopped?"
"That’s perfect."
On the other end of the line, Ian heard a man’s voice constantly speaking near her.
His heart sank, and his breath caught in his throat.
’It sounds like she’s cooking with another man.’
’Why are they cooking together?’
’Judging by their conversation, they seem very close.’
’What’s their relationship?’
A thousand thoughts raced through Ian’s mind.
’I thought my chance had finally co, now that things have gotten so ugly between her and Gavin Sinclair. But who would have thought that before I even had a chance to return to the country... another man would appear by her side?’
’What exactly is their relationship?’
The question echoed in Ian’s mind.
He didn’t want to ask, but in the end, he couldn’t hold back.
"The person talking next to you is..."
Claire started, "Adrian Sutton, he’s my..."
She was about to say he was her friend.
But Adrian cut her off right then.
"Claire, is the food in the pot ready? Should I dish it out?"
Adrian had heard that the person on the phone with Claire was a man.
He had been enduring it from the side for a while now.
His male intuition told him that this man nad Ian had designs on Claire.
’She just split up with Gavin Sinclair, and already another man is after her.’
A strong sense of crisis welled up in Adrian again.
’First Gavin Sinclair, now so guy nad Ian. I feel like if I don’t marry Claire and make her mine quickly, all sorts of unwanted suitors will keep popping up around her.’
"I’ll dish it out."
"Ian, I’m a little busy here, so I’ll have to let you go."
Ian: "...Alright."
"You get back to it, then. Call anyti if you need help."
"Okay. Thanks, Ian. I’m hanging up now."
With that, Claire hung up the phone.
Seeing that their call had finally ended, Adrian breathed a small sigh of relief.
"That guy, Ian... does he like you?"
"How could he?" Claire said.
"He’s Roxanne’s brother, and he’s been working abroad all these years."
Adrian let out a thoughtful "Oh."
Then, pretending to be nonchalant, he went back to helping Claire.
’It doesn’t matter if this Ian guy likes Claire or not. He’s abroad right now—a world away. He’s already lost just based on distance alone. Besides, Claire is living in my house now. Proximity gives the upper hand. I refuse to believe that I, who get to spend every day with her, could lose to a rival I can’t even see or touch.’
With these thoughts, Adrian’s confidence grew.
After they finished making lunch together, the group had a simple al.
When lunch was over, Adrian volunteered to wash the dishes and clean up.
Claire, Roxanne, and Stella Thorne went to the shopping mall downstairs.
She needed to buy so personal feminine items.
She hadn’t taken anything with her from her ti at Crestfall Villa.
Although she had discovered that Adrian had already prepared a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a towel for her...
...there were so things a man couldn’t exactly prepare for her.
For instance, she had to buy her own underwear.
Claire bought a few sets of loungewear and so everyday clothes.
Just as she was about to go buy so skincare products, she passed a jewelry counter and ran into Scarlett Jewel, who was there picking out a ring.
Scarlett, who was about to marry into the Sinclair Family, now had quite an entourage.
She was flanked by two bodyguards wherever she went.
Seeing Claire’s shabby clothes, she was incredibly smug.
"Well, well, if it isn’t my dear sister?"
Claire glanced at her, having no desire to engage.
Unfortunately, Scarlett was determined to get a reaction out of her.
She strode over to Claire in just a few steps, her face beaming with triumph.
"I’m sure you know by now that I’m marrying Gavin next month, right?"
Claire gave a faint "Mm-hmm."
Then, a smile spread across her face as she said loudly,
"So the mistress is finally getting her promotion. Congratulations."
At these words, the smug smile on Scarlett’s face froze instantly.
Feeling the strange looks from the surrounding crowd, she was so angry she could barely breathe.
But then she rembered that Claire was soone she had already defeated, and half of her anger dissipated.
She forced a smile back onto her face and said,
"Oh, you know ... I’ve been so busy I forgot to send you an invitation."
"Sister, you’ll co to my and Gavin’s wedding, won’t you?"
As she spoke, she raised a hand to smooth her already perfect bangs.
On her ring finger, a multi-carat diamond ring flashed brilliantly.
"I originally told Gavin that we should keep the wedding simple, nothing too extravagant."
"But he insisted on giving a grand wedding."
"So here we are, he told to co pick up the ring today."
She held out her right hand to Claire.
It was as if she wanted to shove the diamond ring right into Claire’s eyes.
"Isn’t this ring beautiful?"
She answered her own question before Claire could.
"I think it’s gorgeous."
"The only drawback is that I think it’s a little too big."
"But Gavin insisted on buying it for , and I couldn’t just refuse his kind gesture."
"Sister, I’m not trying to twist the knife or anything."
"I just forgot that when you married him, you not only didn’t have a wedding, but you didn’t even get a ring."
"Oh, look at , I even forgot you two were never actually married at all."
"After all, that marriage certificate was a fake."
"Sigh... maybe it’s because I’m pregnant. My mory hasn’t been great lately."
Seeing her showing off relentlessly like a peacock, Claire sneered.
"I don’t think your mory is the problem. I think there’s sothing wrong with your head."
"What, did becoming the official wife give you a superiority complex?"
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