Claire had no idea when Yolande and her younger brother, Seb, had arrived.
"We're not heading back just yet. We're going to hang out for a bit," Yolande said. They clearly had their own social circle.
Seeing Claire and Dane standing together, they tactfully gave them space, thoroughly avoiding any third-wheel territory.
Yolande, in particular, remembered her mother's desperate wish for her to take Claire's place and join the Green family.
That thought alone was enough to make her keep a wide berth from Dane.
She wasn't about to give her mother even a sliver of false hope.
Seb, meanwhile, had already made plans with his own friends and knew exactly where they were headed next.
"I'm going to take off," Claire said.
She bid farewell to the siblings before turning to say goodbye to Sienna and Oakley.
Seeing her getting ready to leave, Sienna suddenly wanted to head out as well.
Hearing this, Oakley quickly caught up with Owen to let him know they'd all leave together.
Sienna was still in a wheelchair, making the logistics of leaving a bit complicated.
She had bodyguards and assistants, but it wasn't the same as having close friends around.
As her senior colleague, Oakley felt a sense of responsibility to help look after her.
Claire didn't wait for the group to assemble. Hanging around famous actors wasn't exactly ideal if she wanted to avoid the paparazzi.
She had already gone viral a few times, sparking rumors that she was trying to debut in the entertainment industry or become an influencer.
If she kept leeching off their spotlight, she might as well sign a record deal right then and there.
Claire had zero interest in internet fame and actively avoided the limelight.
She and Dane made their way downstairs, ready to head out.
At the same time, Sloane was busy seeing her grandfather off.
Dr. Solomon Sterling had just received an urgent message regarding an emergency.
He had barely made an appearance at his granddaughter's birthday banquet before needing to rush out.
The two groups bumped into each other right at the entrance of the main hall.
Meanwhile, Nolan had dragged his sister, Julia, chasing after the doctor.
They even gotten a chance to
speak with Dr. Sterling yet, and they definitely werent about to let this hard-earned opportunity slip away.
Claire was slightly surprised to see Dr. Sterling.
Noticing
desperate to speak with him, she held back and didn't in
at Nolan and Julia looked
over to say hello. FindNovel.net
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It was Nolan who spoke first, calling out to Dane the moment he spotted him.
Dane gave Nolan a brief nod before turning his attention to the older man. "Dr. Sterling."
Dr. Sterling offered a warm smile when he recognized Dane. "Dane, has your grandfather's condition stabilized?"
Dane nodded. "He's doing much better. I doubt he'll even need to travel somewhere warm to survive the winter this year."
Dr. Sterling looked intrigued. "Is he really cured?"
Sloane's heart skipped a beat when she realized her grandfather knew the
gorgeous man standing next to Claire.
She hadn't harbored any wild hopes before, but if her grandfather had connections
with him, maybe there was a chance...
Why hadn't he invited such an outstanding man over to the house?
"Grandpa, who is this?"
Sloane decided to take the initiative.
In her eagerness, she hadn't paid attention to their conversation and blatantly interrupted the two men.
Dr. Sterling cast a glance at his granddaughter, his brow furrowing slightly before smoothing out.
"This is Mr. Green, the head of Vertex International."
"And this is my granddaughter, Sloane."
He offered a bare-bones introduction, having zero intention of playing matchmaker.
Dr. Sterling had lived a long, pragmatic life.
He knew a man like Dane wouldn't spare his granddaughter a second glance.
True to form, Dane merely offered Sloane a curt nod before immediately averting his gaze.
Sloane felt a flash of resentment.
She opened her mouth to try again, only to realize her grandfather's attention had completely shifted to Claire.
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