Achilles wanted nothing more than to leave, but his granddaughter's pleading gaze kept him rooted in place.
He hated that she was being so foolish; with so many men in the world, why did she have to fixate on the Green family's heir?
Latonia simply couldn't let it go.
When she met Claire last year, she had exercised incredible restraint and gone abroad to finish her studies.
This year, she had graduated early and returned to Cabinda to start her career.
Latonia refused to lose to such a young, inexperienced girl.
But as dinner progressed, Dane smoothly cut Claire's steak and served her portions with effortless devotion, completely shattering Latonia's confidence.
She had grown up with Dane and had never seen him treat anyone with such tender
care.
He even remembered all of Claire's preferences, meticulously picking out the mushrooms from her plate because she hated the texture.
This level of meticulous doting was entirely unlike the Dane she knew.
She realized that even if Claire had never appeared and he had been forced to marry her, he would have only ever treated her with cold indifference.
Dane would never look at her the way he looked at Claire.
With that thought, a sudden wave of relief washed over Latonia.
The thrill of the chase had blinded her, and she realized that even if she actually got
together with Dane, she might not even like him that much.
Across the table, Latonia kept her gaze fixed on the couple.
Dane and Claire continued their meal, entirely unbothered by the scrutiny.
Cyrus Franklin, on the other hand, looked utterly miserable watching the scene unfold.
Although his previous stunt had caused a rift between him and his sister, they had still grown up together.
Seeing Latonia look so defeated left a bitter taste in his mouth.
However, it was glaringly obvious to him that even if his sister managed to marry Dane, her life would be miserable.
Dane didn't even have Latonia in his line of sight.
The entire meal felt like a masterclass in awkward tension for the rest of the table.
The food was exquisite, but no one was in the mood to enjoy it.
Claire thought to herself that if she hadn't promised to help Dane-shake off his persistent admirer, she would have never stayed for dinner.
Fortunately, the moment dessert was cleared, the Franklin family said their goodbyes.
Before walking out the door, Latonia cast one last long look at Claire and Dane.
Neither of them said a word, simply pretending not to notice.
That afternoon, Claire accompanied Dane to the Hawk family estate to visit Walden. Claire was surprised to find Tilda there.
Then again, Tilda and Van were married, so it was perfectly normal for her to be at the Hawk estate.
However, just a quick glance at Tilda's complexion told Claire everything she needed to know.
"Is your lower back aching, Tilda?"
Tilda froze in surprise. "Claire, how did you know?"
Were doctors really this observant? Could she spot a sore back just from a look?
"No, I just noticed you subconsciously supporting your waist."
Claire smiled and pulled Tilda down to sit next to her. "Let me check your pulse."
Tilda's heart skipped a beat. "Don't
scare
Claire. It's the dead het
By want to drop
prime.. FindNovel.net
my
Before she could finish her morbid thought, Claire cut her off. "What are you talking about?"
"Your company does annual physicals, right? If there was a serious issue, wouldn't they have caught it?"
Claire's logical reminder brought Tilda back to reality. "That's true."
She held out her wrist. "Go ahead, take a look."
Claire carefully checked her pulse, a knowing smile slowly forming on her lips.
When Claire stayed silent for a
ment
Tilda grew anxious. "Am
actually coming down with something serious?
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"No, you're perfectly healthy. It's just that..." Claire trailed off playfully.
The suspense immediately caught Walden's attention.
"Claire, is everything alright with Tilda?" Walden absolutely adored his granddaughter-in-law.