"A fiancé," Pandora echoed, still a little stunned. For a second, she just stared at Claire, processing the news. Once it all clicked, her eyes sharpened.
"You agreed to this so easily? Are you even clear on your mom's side of things right now? You go off to Cabinda for a few days and come back with a fiancé... What if this one has issues with his character or..." she trailed off, thinking it might turn out worse than York.
"He's definitely better than York," Claire replied right away without hesitating.
"So, you're pretty satisfied with this guy?" Pandora studied her granddaughter for a reaction. “You're still young, you know. Getting engaged so early... it's not always a good thing. Remember how your parents pushed you to get engaged to that boy from the Byron family? They basically made it happen without considering what you wanted. Honestly, I was against it from the start."
Pandora sighed and leaned back a little. "The Byron family and the James family have been working together a lot more recently. On the surface, it seems like their relationship is getting closer, but if you look deeper, there are lots of hidden problems. Messing around with the Byron family like that... I don't see any advantage there. You turned out not to be The James family's biological daughter, so actually, breaking off the engagement with the Byrons should've been a blessing. It could have let both families drift apart, smoothly and quietly. But instead, your parents couldn't wait to set up an engagement between Cindy and York."
No matter what she said, Pandora knew Latham and Octavia wouldn't listen. They only cared about whatever benefited them right now. So she had given up lecturing them. She'd never cared much about wealth or status herself. Let her kids and grandkids chase after that if they wanted. Maybe other people would call that selfish, but Claire always found it comforting.
"They probably just think York is a good match for Cindy," Claire said lightly.
Pandora gave her a look. "You're seriously not mad they handed over the fiancé meant for you to Cindy instead?"
"What's there to get mad about? York isn't a prize, and I'm not a kid fighting over toys. I'm good, honestly. But do you want to meet my new fiancé? He's coming to visit today."
Pandora laughed, a twinkle in her eye. "If he's willing to stop by, of course I'll meet him."
Claire let out a quiet breath, feeling relieved. As long as her grandma was on board, that was all she needed.
word and arrived in
Dane kept his wo
Apex that same afternoon. Claire
an SUV to pick him up
drove out in an
She wore a puffer jacket, her hair clipped up casually, relaxed and effortless: When she spotted Dane she waved him over, all smiles.
This time, Dane came to Apex in an understated way—no big parade like before.
Still, he brought a bodyguard with him, who was hauling several bags.
"I brought New Year's gifts for both your grandmothers,” Dane said as soon as he saw her. "I heard Pandora's a doctor?"
met
He'd clearly done his homework and picked gifts thoughtfully. Pandora was picky, so Dane didn't bother with generic health supplements Instead, he bought premium bird's nest, fish maw, and other quality.
ingredients
plus, since Claire had
mentioned Pandora didn't care for
tea but loved coffee, he brought her
some specialty coffee too.
That night, they had dinner at Pandora's home. Seeing Dane in person, Pandora finally understood why Claire felt so sure about him For one thing, he was far more charming than York with a comfortable confidence and
thoughtful manners.
"He's a good-looking young man," the housekeeper whispered to Pandora, grinning.
Pandora smiled in agreement. "Claire has always had good taste."
Claire introduced them with quiet pride. “Grandma, this is Dane, my fiancé.”
The way she said it—so natural and open-made it clear to Dane that she saw him
as family now. It gave him a sense of ease, like things were falling into place.
They stayed at Pandora's place for almost two hours, with Dane patiently and sincerely answering every question Pandora threw his way.