"Maybe, but I can't guarantee I'll have the time."
Claire didn't give a definitive answer.
In truth, she didn't want Meiko showing up at all.
The holidays were short, and she only wanted to spend quality time with the two elderly women in her hometown.
Mary had been incredibly busy lately, while Pandora had a lot of free time.
Worried they might be lonely, Claire made sure to call them often.
Meiko didn't take the second half of her sentence seriously and just assumed Claire had agreed.
Claire returned to Apex a few days before the holiday break.
She didn't make it all the way to The James Village that day because Shirley had come to pick her up at the airport.
"See how good I am to you?"
Shirley was driving a brand-new electric vehicle.
"What do you think? Pretty nice ride, huh?"
Claire gave her a sideways glance. "It's nice. Very eco-friendly."
Since she went to college locally, buying an electric car for her commute was far more cost-effective than paying for gas.
If The James Family were still in their prime, Shirley would never have needed to budget like this.
But now that The James Group was bankrupt, Latham and Lance were both struggling to get back on their feet.
In their branch of the family, Pearce had gone out and found a modest job that paid a few thousand dollars a month.
He didn't have the same massive ego as Latham, so he just clocked in and went to work.
Even though his monthly salary was barely enough to support a family, he cheerfully showed up every day.
Besides, his family didn't rely on his income anyway; they survived entirely on his wife's previous investments.
They weren't actually short on cash. Pearce's salary even helped support his older brother and nephew.
They had taken advantage of Latham in the past, so now that Pearce was helping him out, Patti just turned a blind eye.
The two kids, however, had matured significantly.
Take Shirley—she had given up her luxury sports car and was now driving this practical, moderately priced EV.
Whatever she didn't spend of her monthly allowance, she saved.
Pearce and Patti were actually quite proud of them.
Claire slid into Shirley's new car while Dexter grunted and hauled the heavy luggage into the trunk.
"When did Dexter get so obedient?"
Claire was genuinely surprised.
The youngest boy of the family used to be an edgy, rebellious teenager.
Now he was practically a model citizen.
"Our family went through a massive crisis, and he took a beating at school for it."
Despite being a tall, strapping guy, he was severely ostracized by his peers.
He had been too arrogant in the past, and now there were far too many people who couldn't stand him.
He quickly realized that never really his friends at all.
friends he used to buy drinks gifts for were
No one wanted anything to do with him anymore.
Now, Dexter could only throw himself into his studies.
Aside from studying, he had absolutely zero social life.
Because no one wanted to hang out with him.
So, the moment Shirley said she was picking Claire up and needed some manual labor he tagged along
without a complaint.
Claire was speechless. She actually felt a little guilty for not preparing a gift for him.
Dexter managed to load several massive suitcases all by himself.
Claire had completely forgotten she even had bodyguards.
Then again, her security detail operated in the shadows and rarely showed their faces.
Having Dexter do the heavy lifting was perfectly fine.
Once Dexter finished loading the bags and climbed into the car, Claire turn
o him with a bright smet
Thanks, Dex." t FindNovel.net
He frowned. "Claire, can you not call me by that nickname?"
"What do you want us to call you then, boss?" Shirley turned around and rolled her eyes at him.
She had just been praising his maturity, and now he was acting like a brat again.
Claire didn't mind. "Calling him boss is fine by me."
"Forget it, forget it. I can't win against Shirley. Just call me Dexter."
He had never liked his full name anyway.
He had once passionately demanded a name change.
His mother had replied that if he
didn't
his current name, they
ede it to something utterly. Culous and old-fashioned,
He decided to stick with Dexter after that.
People were going to make fun of him regardless, so what did it matter?