Claire’s POV
Evander looked at as he hugged . His hug soothed my trembling heart. No matter what differences we had in the past, I had never thought she would go this far.
"Calm down! Don’t overthink! I am with you!" Evander reassured .
I nodded, though my heart felt heavy. Everything she did cut deep, and while I was relieved to have Evander by my side, it didn’t erase the pain. "What do we do now?" I asked, looking up at him.
Evander’s expression hardened again, determination flickering in his eyes. "Now," he said, his voice resolute, "we make sure Diana pays for what she has done. And we make sure no one else dares to hurt you again."
Even as a storm of emotions churned within , having Evander around made feel so happy. If he were not around , I would have locked myself and wouldn’t even dare to co out of the room for days.
I hugged Evander tightly as I inhaled deeply, taking in his scent, which made feel relieved.
"Claire, let call Damian in and see what has happened since he was the one who was taking care of everything," Evander said as he called Damian in and as always, Caspian couldn’t let go of his shalessness, he followed him inside.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Evander’s POV
I was determined to shield Claire from the truth, to protect her from the chaos that would disturb her life. I had handled situations like this before, taking matters into my own hands to ensure she would never have to suffer. Just as I had dealt with George—her father—I was prepared to handle Diana without dragging Claire into the ss.
The mory of George’s actions still made my blood boil. Watching him try to tornt Claire had pushed over the edge. I couldn’t stand by and let him get away with it. Rage had consud , and I had resorted to asures I wouldn’t have otherwise considered.
I had hired a group of thugs to teach him a lesson that might have been extre, but seeing him incapacitated in the hospital for weeks brought so satisfaction. Yet, even then, my anger wasn’t appeased. George deserved more, and I had planned to completely ruin him by destroying his company.
But then soon I realized. The company wasn’t just his —it was Claire’s mother’s legacy. Destroying it would an tarnishing a part of her past, a part of her mother’s mory, and I couldn’t bring myself to do that. So, I had to settle for other ways to ensure he wouldn’t cross the line again.
Now, with Diana, things were different. Her act was personal and insidious. I had hoped to handle her just as I had handled George—quietly, efficiently, and without involving Claire. But when Claire ntioned Diana directly, her suspicions cutting through my silence, I knew the truth couldn’t be hidden anymore. There was no way I could avoid it.
I had no choice but to reveal everything I knew. I laid it all out— Diana’s manipulation, her attempts to tear Claire and apart, and the lengths she had gone to in her scheming. As much as I wanted to shield Claire, I realized she deserved to know who had been plotting against her. She needed to understand the truth.
Diana’s sches would not go unanswered, and no matter what, I would ensure Claire’s safety and happiness, even if it ant confronting the demons I had tried to handle alone.
"Let call Damian in to discuss what he managed to find last night," I said, as Claire nodded and motioned toward the door. And monts later, Damian walked in, followed by Caspian.
I frowned at the sight of Caspian trailing behind. "Why are you here?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him. "I don’t think you were needed here."
Caspian feigned a hurt expression, clasping his hands together with exaggerated puppy eyes. "Co on! I was here all night! Can’t I be curious and lend a hand?"
"Whatever! Let him stay," Damian said, waving his hand dismissively as he settled into a chair.
"So, what’s the big scoop from last night?" Caspian asked, his eyes sparkling with excitent. "I have been dying to know! Which girl dared to co after you and almost stole your chastity?" He added with his usual dramatic flair.
I clenched my fists, barely containing my frustration. "It wasn’t , Caspian. It was Claire!" I said, my voice low and laced with barely restrained fury. "She was the target, and I just got caught in."
"What!?" Caspian’s playful deanor disappeared in an instant. His eyes widened in shock, and his expression hardened. "Who dared to harm our sister-in-law? How dare they? Are they even still alive?"
Damian leaned forward, his tone calm but resolute. "Harris isn’t in the best shape right now. I made sure of that. He is in the hospital, nursing his wounds. I warned him to keep his mouth shut if he didn’t want the police sniffing around."
"What!? Harris? Why was he involved?" Claire gasped, her voice shaking with disbelief. "And you are just going to let him off like that? Are you not going to hand him over to the police?"
"Why? So he can fabricate so fake evidence and walk free?" Caspian shot back, his gaze sharp as it settled on Claire. "Do you really think the legal system would hold soone like him accountable? People like Harris know how to twist things to their advantage."
Claire bit her lip. She knew the legal system would take a long ti, and in lack of evidence, he would be released soon. "But still... letting him go doesn’t feel right," she muttered.
"I agree with Claire," I said, trying to ease the tension in the room. "But for now, we need to play smart. Harris won’t get away with this—I will make sure of it. But we have to be strategic. If we rush, it will only make things worse."
Caspian nodded, though his jaw was tight. "Fine. But if you need soone to ’handle’ him, you know where to find ," he said, a dark glint in his eye that hinted he wasn’t entirely joking.
Damian sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Let’s focus on what we know. Harris was just a client in soone else’s ga. We need to figure out how to deal with Diana! I am not thinking of letting her leave easily."
Author’s POV
Claire’s gaze flickered between the three of them. Caspian, with his exaggerated antics, and Damian, with his calm yet biting remarks, were always playful around her. They teased her endlessly, but now, seeing them so fiercely protective, her heart softened. A wave of emotions washed over her as she realized how much they cared. It was a kind of warmth and support she had never experienced before.
Her voice trembled as she spoke. "Th... Thank you, everyone," she said, her hands gripping the hem of her shirt tightly. "I... I never had such support in my life."
"What are you thanking us for?" Caspian asked, tilting his head in a mocking way before smirking. "Elijah cherished you like his own blood, didn’t he? And Lexi— she adored you too. Now that you are Evan’s wife, how could I not care for you? You are special to !"
Claire’s lips quivered, and she blinked back the tears threatening to fall. "It’s just... it’s overwhelming," she said softly. "To have people who genuinely care."
"Overwhelming?" Caspian scoffed playfully, but his tone held a touch of sincerity. "Co on, Claire, you are stuck with us now. You better get used to this."
Damian crossed his arms and nodded. "Caspian is right for once. You are not alone anymore, Claire. We are here for you, whether you like it or not."
She couldn’t hold back her smile as she looked between the two of them. "You both are impossible!" she said, shaking her head lightly.
"Enough, both of you!" Evander interjected, his voice sharp with irritation. "Why are you supporting my wife? I am here for her! You two don’t need to get so friendly with her!" His possessive tone was clear, and he crossed his arms as he glared at them.
Damian rolled his eyes, unfazed by Evander’s outburst. "Yeah, yeah, we know you are the big, bad husband. But if it weren’t for , you would be in a worse situation right now! So maybe, just maybe, you could show a little gratitude."
"And too!" Caspian chid in.
"Gratitude?" Evander’s jaw tightened as he gritted his teeth, glaring at Damian. "If you’d taken better care of Claire when I wasn’t around, she wouldn’t have ended up in such trouble in the first place!"
"Excuse ?" Damian shot back, raising an eyebrow. "I don’t recall being her babysitter. Maybe if you’d been more attentive to her instead of handling things your way, none of this would have happened."
"Okay, guys!" Claire raised her hands, stepping between them before things escalated further. "Let’s not fight right now," she said, her voice calm but firm. "This is not funny, and honestly, you are both being ridiculously childish."
Caspian, who stood to the side, found the entire exchange amusing. "Oh, this is great," he muttered under his breath, smirking. "I could watch this all day."
Claire turned to him with a pointed look. "And you are not helping either," she said, though her tone lacked any real bite. Then, addressing all three n, she continued, "Can soone please tell what you are planning to do so that I can act accordingly?"
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