"Claire, my mom said that once I get into the same college as you, my dad will come back," Jim said.
Claire had no idea what Jim's mother had told the little boy.
She could only offer him an encouraging smile.
"As long as you study hard, getting into the same school as me won't be a problem at all."
Jim clenched his little fists. "I'll do my best! Mom said if I graduate at the top of my class, she's going to throw a massive block party for three days straight so everyone in town can share the good luck."
Claire knew she could never survive a three-day rager.
But looking at the kid's determination, she figured his mother would absolutely keep that promise.
Time spent in the countryside always felt fleeting and idyllic; Padgett enjoyed the scenery so much he was considering extending his stay.
However, on the night The Ivy Gala concluded, Karla received a frantic phone call- one of her top stars had been filming in Apex when a stunt harness snapped, sending her plummeting to the ground.
Karla had only come out here to celebrate her niece's academic success, but now chaos had completely derailed her plans.
"Hold on, I'm heading over right now."
The frantic voice on the other end belonged to Trixie, the assistant to her artist, Sienna Darwin.
Sienna was a newly crowned Best Actress, but her foothold in the brutal industry was still unstable.
She was notoriously dedicated on set, always willing to do her own stunts as long as they weren't wildly dangerous.
She was a lot like Oakley in that regard.
Industry insiders used to joke that Karla and the talents she managed shared the exact same DNA.
They were all relentless workaholics.
Karla always took that as a massive compliment.
Every star under her wing hustled tirelessly.
Their current A-list statuses were forged through pure blood, sweat, and tears.
Deeply protective of her artists, Karla started throwing her things into a suitcase the moment she heard the news.
She gave a rushed explanation to Padgett and Pandora before preparing to head out.
Claire was worried about Karla making the long drive back alone at night.
She immediately offered to go with her.
"Karla, I'll go with you. If they're at Apex Hospital, I can drive you straight there."
"We literally just had dinner with some of the doctors from that hospital last night."
It wasn't about demanding VIP
treatment, but having a familiar face pull some strings would speed up
the bureaucratic nightmare of admissions.
She didn't know how badly the actress was hurt, but if it was critical, they needed to bypass the red tape immediately.
"Alright, Claire, come with me." What Karla didn't say out loud was that Claire wouldn't just be helpful with connections she wanted her to personally check on Sienna's
condition.
It was only yesterday that Karla learned just how terrifyingly brilliant her niece actually was.
She wasn't just whipping up miracle scar creams and beauty lotions—she was a legitimate prodigy in both Eastern and Western medicine.
The top surgeons at Apex Hospital couldn't stop singing her praises.
She was even consulting on experimental bone cancer treatments; the girl was an absolute genius.
"Let Norris and Phil go with you girls. Driving through the night is going to be exhausting," Padgett interjected.
He hadn't planned on sending his grandsons, but since his precious granddaughter was going, that changed everything.
Claire's connection to The Churchill
Family had just been exposed to the public westerday, and he couldn't be Sure if anyone was lurking in the shadows targeting them.
If someone made a move against Claire, they needed to be ready to fight back.
Until a proper security detail could be arranged, his two grandsons would have to play bodyguard.
Having two built guys around was definitely safer than two women braving the night alone.