"I want to be friends with you!" Sloane declared earnestly.
Claire stared at her, tempted to remind her they were supposed to be enemies.
But Sloane looked so serious.
"Are you sure? If we become friends, you forfeit your right to pursue Dane."
Sloane froze.
Crap, she hadn't even thought about that!
Was it too late to back out?
Feeling Claire's gaze on her, Sloane forced a laugh. "It's not like he's the only guy in
the world. Bros before... well, you know."
"Don't worry, once we're friends, I definitely won't fight you for Mr. Green."
"He's gorgeous, sure, but it's not like the guys in my circle are ugly."
"And if worse comes to worst, I can just let my family arrange a marriage for me.'
"
While Sloane didn't know the exact details of Claire and Dane's engagement, she figured arranged marriages had their perks—at least they filtered out the arrogant losers.
"Are you actually serious?" Claire was genuinely surprised at how quickly Sloane folded.
Dane was an exceptional catch; wasn't she sad to let him go?
"Completely serious." Sloane decided a man wasn't worth ruining potential sisterhood over.
If Claire treated her like a sister, she'd do the same.
Plus, if her friend's fiancé was that powerful, she could definitely benefit from the association, right?
Sloane's sudden shift caught Claire off guard.
Claire ultimately agreed to the dinner.
Since it was a Friday and they had no classes the next day, they actually went and enjoyed a lavish Pelago meal.
The food was as good as Sloane had promised.
But Claire wasn't a huge fan of foreign cuisine; it was fine for an occasional treat.
So when Sloane eagerly offered to bring her back next time, Claire immediately declined.
"How about I treat you next time? Though I'm not sure if you have strict standards for restaurant ratings," Claire offered.
Sloane's eyes lit up. Trading favors was the first step to true friendship!
She agreed without hesitation.
"Should we go shopping? Do you want a dress from SUNNY? Their spring collection just dropped, and I think it's gorgeous."
Sloane was a die-hard SUNNY fan.
Which was why Claire had run into her during her massive shopping spree before the new year.
Claire had absolutely zero intention of buying clothes, as her wardrobe was already overflowing thanks to Victoria Churchill, Eleanor Churchill, and her new aunt, Jenny.
Why waste time picking things out?
She wasn't enthusiastic but didn't, refuse, figuring they could stroll through the VIA Metrópolis mall check out the SUNNY store's foot traffic.
Besides, she needed a walk before her late-night snack with Dane.
Foreign food always left her hungry again quickly.
Dane had tried to take her to dinner earlier, but she had turned him down, agreeing
he could pick her up later.
Claire had ridden in Sloane's car to get here.
Since it was a Friday night and a new collection had launched, the SUNNY store was busier than usual.
However, as a high-end boutique, it was never going to be packed like a fast-fashion store.
Wealthy clients were numerous.
But they didn't all shop on the exact same day.
As soon as Claire and Sloane walked in, a young sales associate approached them.
Sharp-eyed, the associate
immediately recognized Sloane as a
frequent VIP and remembered Claire from the platinum card she had flashed fast time.
Neither of them were ordinary customers!
The associate turned up the charm immediately.