As soon as Rain and Alexander left, Clifford turned to Sanya with a direct question, "What’s wrong with you? Why do you keep sneaking glances at Alexander?"
He had noticed Sanya acting strangely, despite her efforts to hide it. Clifford knew her too well for her to fool him. They had known each other for years, almost since the day he t Rain. Sanya was Rain’s friend from Haven Orphanage, where Rain often volunteered and dragged him along.
It was there that Rain introduced him to Sanya, and since then, the three of them had beco close. Their relationship was a bit more complicated, though. Clifford and Sanya often quarrelled, clashing over different opinions, with Rain always stepping in as their referee. Despite the bickering, their bond had grown strong over the years.
Now, seeing Sanya’s unusual behaviour was unsettling for him. Sothing was clearly off, and he was determined to get to the bottom of it.
"Oh, that... It’s just that he looks so different," Sanya mumbled, but Clifford caught every word.
"Different? Did you already et him before?" he asked, his eyes not leaving hers.
Sanya fidgeted under his gaze. "Uh, no, what I ant is that he looks very different in person compared to the profile I saw at work. You know I work for that elite matchmaking company. I ca across his profile there," she explained, forcing an awkward grin.
Clifford raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. Sothing didn’t add up.
"Stop overthinking things," Sanya insisted. "Why would I have t him in person? Hardly anyone even knows he’s Alexander Lancaster. Only a few people know his face. Or maybe you’re right, maybe he just looked familiar, and I didn’t realize it was him," she added quickly, trying to pull him back into the kitchen.
"Why don’t you prepare dessert while I do the dishes?" she suggested, clearly trying to change the subject.
Clifford wasn’t one to back down easily. "I feel like sothing’s off. You seem to be hiding sothing."
Sanya turned to face him, her expression firm. "What could I possibly be hiding?"
"You tell ," Clifford shrugged, his eyes narrowing as he waited for her response.
Sanya t Clifford’s intense gaze and sighed, her expression a mix of exasperation and amusent. "Was it a cri to not keep my eyes off such a handso man? I an, co on, even you’d agree he’s drool-worthy. He’s better looking than most celebrities. Rain hit the jackpot with him, but let’s not forget that he hit the jackpot too—Rain’s more gorgeous than any star on TV!" she quipped, trying to lighten the mood with a grin.
But Clifford wasn’t buying it. His eyes remained narrowed in suspicion, clearly not swayed by her playful banter.
Sanya shrugged, a hint of frustration creeping into her voice. "I was just observing the man earlier. Didn’t you notice how petty he was acting? It’s like he was sizing you up or sothing."
Clifford didn’t relax his scrutiny, his instincts telling him there was more to Sanya’s behavior than she was letting on.
She took a deep breath, then continued, "The man clearly likes Rain. He’s got feelings for her, and that’s why he was irritated with you. The two of you were practically staking your claims on her with all that pettiness."
Her words hit Clifford like a punch. He had sensed it too—this Alexander had feelings for Rain, and his instincts were rarely wrong.
"You see each other as competition," Sanya continued, narrowing her eyes. Then, with a thoughtful look, she added, "I wonder if Rain has noticed. She’s smart, talented, a jack-of-all-trades—except for cooking, of course. But even smart people can be clueless when it cos to matters of the heart. So, I guess she’s still in the dark about it."
Clifford didn’t respond imdiately, lost in thought as he wondered whether Rain had picked up on the tension. But Sanya quickly snapped him back to reality.
"So, when do you plan to visit Rain? I want to tag along," Sanya said, her eyes lighting up with excitent. "I an, I’ve always wanted to see the Lancaster Estate here in the capital city!"
Her enthusiasm broke through Clifford’s contemplative mood, and he gave her a half-smile. "You’re more interested in the estate than in visiting Rain, aren’t you?" he teased, trying to lighten the atmosphere.
"Maybe a little," Sanya admitted with a grin. "But seriously, when are we going?"
Clifford rolled his eyes and said, "Go wash the dishes first, then update on the investigation into Rain’s marriage. Is there even any progress? You’re acting suspicious, Sanya, and I know you well enough to tell when you’re hiding sothing."
His tone was sharp, and there was no mistaking the seriousness in his eyes. "You may fool Rain, but not ," Clifford added, his face darkening as he spoke.
Sanya hesitated, the playful mood vanishing. She knew Clifford wouldn’t let this go easily, and the intensity in his gaze made it clear he was determined to get to the bottom of whatever she was hiding.
Sanya’s expression tightened as Clifford’s words hit ho. "Do you really think I managed to fool Rain?" she asked, her voice laced with uncertainty.
"No," Clifford replied, his tone unwavering. "She’s probably just giving you the benefit of the doubt right now, convincing herself to trust you because you’re like a sister to her. But Rain isn’t naive."
He leaned in slightly, his gaze piercing. "So, whatever it is, just spill it out. You’d better tell the truth before it’s too late for you."
Sanya swallowed hard, sensing the gravity of the situation. Clifford’s words were a stark reminder that Rain was more perceptive than most people realized, and the longer she kept whatever secrets she had, the harder it would be to co clean.
"Sanya, what’s going on?" Clifford asked, his voice softening as he saw the tears streaming down her face. The sudden emotional outburst caught him off guard, leaving him more confused than ever.
"Clifford, please," Sanya pleaded, her voice trembling. "Can you just give so ti? I can’t deal with all this pressure right now. There’s so much happening, and I’m just trying to keep it together. Let’s focus on the fact that Rain’s life is better because of this marriage. Isn’t that what matters most?"
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