"He's trying to get on my good side?"
Claire instantly understood Kendrick's underlying motive.
She was a brilliant doctor with exceptional skills.
Kendrick had a massive family, and he couldn't guarantee that his descendants would never fall severely ill.
Building a strong relationship now was an investment, hoping she'd be willing to step in during future crises.
Her medical expertise was the kind that snatched people back from the brink of death.
She might be young, but Kendrick was essentially buying stock in her future.
And investing in her was a guaranteed win.
Realizing this, Claire pocketed the money without a shred of guilt.
"Honestly, considering your relationship with him, I probably shouldn't have charged him."
She casually mentioned it anyway.
The hefty sum was undoubtedly also a way to placate Dane.
They were giving Dane face.
It was a subtle apology directed at her as well.
Before they knew she was Dane's girlfriend, introducing Cassandra to him hadn't technically been a faux pas.
But because of Claire's undeniable prowess and personal magnetism, they were using this generous payment as an elegant, unspoken apology.
"Take every cent."
Dane had seen through the Cole family's intentions from the start.
He had worried that his girl might misinterpret the situation, which would be an absolute headache to explain.
So, he simply brought her along to mark his territory.
If Kendrick wanted to hand over a small fortune as an apology, fine by him.
It was pocket change anyway.
Back when he bought that Agarwood pillow, he had casually given her twenty million dollars.
He knew Claire wasn't exactly desperate for cash either.
And he was right; Claire had never lacked money. Back in the James family, Octavia had been incredibly stingy with her, insisting on buying her material goods instead of giving her liquid cash.
She forced Claire to wear those designer clothes out in public just to maintain the illusion that the parents spoiled their daughter.
In reality, Claire's monthly allowance was a pathetic fraction of what Lance received.
However, after Claire moved to the countryside with Mary, Mary had given her plenty of spending money.
Mary had had a highly lucrative career, drawing an exorbitant pension and an equally massive salary from her consultant work.
She provided Claire not only with unwavering emotional support but also complete financial freedom.
She made sure Claire never had to look at anyone else with envy.
Not that Claire possessed the capacity for jealousy anyway.
As she grew older, she had easily amassed her own wealth.
For someone who never had to check price tags, this half a million dollars was barely a blip on her radar.
"Coming to my place for dinner tonight?" Dane suggested.
His grandfather absolutely adored Claire and had been dying for her to visit.
"That probably won't work. Padgett expects me back tonight."
She hadn't visited the Churchill family estate all weekend, and the old man had been eagerly waiting for her.
Dane's mind raced. He instantly
pulled o
and
this phone, called Baldringt
Seamlessly invited himself over to the Churchill estate for dinner.
Claire burst out laughing beside him.
Dane shot her a smoldering look, spoke two more sentences to his grandfather, and ended the call.
"Let's go. I'm dropping you off at the Churchills'."
But the moment Claire and Dane
stepped out of the car, they could already hear Baldrick and Badgett's booming läughter echoing from the estate.
Sure enough, the Green family's luxury sedan was already parked in the driveway.
"Did you tell your grandfather to come too?" Claire whispered to Dane.
Who invites themselves over to mooch food and brings their grandpa along?
"I swear I didn't." Dane's expression darkened with exasperation.
He genuinely hadn't expected the old man to beat him to the punch and crash the party first.
Left with no other choice, Claire and Dane walked through the front doors together. "Claire's back!"
Padgett and Baldrick turned toward her in perfect unison.
Somehow, Baldrick looked even more thrilled to see her than Padgett did.
"Claire, we're doing a massive backyard barbecue tonight."
Baldrick had even brought his own premium cuts of meat.
Padgett stood next to him, looking utterly defeated.
"Sounds great." Claire honestly didn't care what was on the menu.
With the Churchill family's private chefs manning the grill, she knew she wasn't
going to go hungry.
The rest
usual the Churchill family was
usually swamped with their
ctive empires, making it are to
everyone in one room.
Tonight, it was just Claire, the two grandfathers, and Dane around the table.
Everyone else was out of the house.
Business never slept for the rest of the family.