Latham and his wife were an absolute mess. They both had affairs, and they both ended up having children with other people.
Claire nodded in agreement. "She really is ruthless. She wasn't even worried that Fallon might just kill her biological daughter."
"Cindy's background is that complicated?" Edison was genuinely stunned. They had practically watched that girl grow up; he never would have guessed. Who did she inherit her personality from, then? Was that why Mary had eventually given up on her, realizing she was beyond guidance?
"It's a bit complicated, yeah."
Claire didn't quite know what else to say. Honestly, Edison and the others should have been much closer to Cindy than they were to her.
Edison didn't dwell on the matter. "Regardless of who her father is, she's still Octavia's daughter. You don't need to worry about her."
"As her mother, Octavia is bound to protect her."
Otherwise, she wouldn't have kicked Claire out of the James household the moment Cindy was brought back. Octavia's contrasting attitudes toward her adopted and biological daughters were glaringly obvious.
"It's just that their family is playing so dirty right now. If they ask you for any favors down the line, do not agree." Edison was still worried his niece might cave.
"If they're capable of trying to marry you off to a gay man just to secure a deal, they're capable of doing things with even less of a bottom line."
"Desperate people do desperate things."
"You should just move in with me for a while, so they can't track down your address and harass you."
Claire agreed with his warning about their desperation, but she had no desire to move into Edison's place. He and Jenny were already living together. Since Jenny had grown up overseas, she valued her privacy and probably wouldn't appreciate having a long-term houseguest-even if she did like Claire.
Besides, Claire had enough tact not to third-wheel their relationship.
"I'll be careful, don't worry," she assured him.
"I've made my stance clear, and they can't force my hand."
"Besides, Lance was in a car crash, and I helped with the surgery."
"He needs me if he wants to make a full recovery. They won't dare pull anything."
Edison felt a little better hearing her confidence, but he was still on edge.
"Do you want to head back to the countryside and stay with Mary for a bit?"
The holiday was long anyway; there was no point lingering in the city.
"Or, once you get your acceptance letter, you could head to Cabinda and spend some time with your grandfather?"
Claire knew Edison was just being protective.
"I still have ongoing tasks at the hospital's lab. Plus, there's a bone cancer patient I need to monitor-Mary's friend."
"Daniel, the one renting Hearth & Kettle."
It wasn't that Claire didn't want to visit Cabinda; she just couldn't step away from the lab, Since she ha made a commitment to Barry he was determined to see her work through.
"How about I hire a housekeeper for you, then?"
"Someone to take care of your meals and daily needs," Edison suddenly suggested. Claire almost rolled her eyes.
"You don't want to hire me a housekeeper. You want to hire me a bodyguard, don't you?"
Edison rubbed his nose, completely unbothered by being called out. "I'm just taking precautions. What if the James family..."
The James family wasn't just
plotting to marry her off; they had
their sights set on Hearth & Kettle
and the VIA Group. They still didn't
know the VIA Group was owned by *
Pandora
FindNovel.net
If they found out, they would undoubtedly harass Claire to convince Pandora to
invest in Latham's failing business.
"They'll be too busy putting out their
own fires to bother with me,"
insisted, refusing to have a
follow her around.
Left with no other options, Edison called Pandora to brief the matriarch on the situation.