Tilda shot Dane an impressed thumbs-up.
His level of devotion was top-tier.
If anyone ever claimed Dane was a cold, unfeeling billionaire again,
She would personally drag them over to witness this lovesick display. Aversion to women? Yeah, right.
He just hadn't met the woman who could bring him to his knees until now.
The way he looked at Claire was borderline worship.
A notoriously ruthless tycoon, perfectly willing to play the supportive husband.
Whether Dane would actually follow through on that promise remained to be seen.
For now, Tilda was just enjoying the show.
Claire and Dane both breathed a sigh of relief knowing Tilda already had a solid action plan.
Neither of them wanted to see Walden succumb to Alzheimer's.
With the heavy business out of the way, they shifted their focus to the food.
The restaurant's menu was mediocre at best.
But the three of them weren't overly picky.
They hadn't come for a five-star culinary experience, anyway.
Still, they barely touched their plates.
Claire ended up asking the waiter to box up the untouched food.
On the drive home, she handed the takeout boxes to a homeless man on the street corner.
The man thanked her profusely.
Dane made sure Claire got home safely before heading back to his own place.
His security detail trailed closely behind in a separate SUV.
Dane rarely ever rode shotgun, but with Claire behind the wheel, he thoroughly enjoyed the view.
The following day, Claire returned to her rigorous academic routine. The peaceful rhythm lasted for weeks, carrying her seamlessly into the winter break without a single piece of campus drama.
Well, almost without drama. In her spare time, she had been secretly administering treatments for Melanie.
Melanie's hidden health complications remained strictly confidential.
Despite having a horde of suitors trailing after her on campus, Melanie never committed to a single one.
Instead, she maintained flirty, ambiguous friendships with every guy who showed interest.
Calling her a social butterfly was an understatement; she effortlessly manipulated the attention of dozens of men.
Guys who were already taken happily dumped their girlfriends just for a shot with her.
One guy, who had been on the verge of proposing to his college sweetheart, threw it all away because of the friction Melanie caused.
Infuriated, his soon-to-be ex-fiancée marched right up to Melanie with a squad of her friends to confront her.
But as always, Melanie played the picture of perfect innocence.
"I'm so sorry, I have no idea what
you mean. Your boyfriend and I are just friends. There's absolutely nothing romantic going on between us
"Drop the act! If it weren't for you, why would he refuse to meet my parents? We
were supposed to get engaged after graduation!"
"You came all the way to Solenia just to seduce other people's boyfriends! Karma is going to ruin you, Melanie!"
"You Sundaran girls are all the same-absolute trash!"
"I didn't come here to start a physical fight. I just wanted to look you in the eye and say that I'm done with him. You can have the
garbage
"His grandfather is a decorated war veteran. There's no way in hell his family will
ever let him date a girl from Sundara."
Wendy Jenson, the formidable
senior, hadn't just confronted
Melanie, after gathering receipts of
Wyatt's emotional infideftly she
bypassed him entirely and called his
parents.
FindNovel.net
She detailed every sordid text and flirty encounter her boyfriend had shared with the Sundaran exchange student.
Wendy had decided to cut her losses and dump Wyatt. Whoever he chased after now was no longer her problem.
But out of respect for the fact that his grandfather was an esteemed veteran, she figured his parents deserved a heads-up.
After years of dating, the least she could do was warn them before he completely ruined his life.
Well, her ex-boyfriend now.
Wyatt chased after her the moment he heard the news, his face completely pale with shock.
"Wendy, what the hell is wrong with you? You dragged my parents into this over some petty jealousy?"
Wendy crossed her arms and let out an icy scoff. "I was just doing you a favor, sweetheart."