The stylist standing nearby eagerly seized the opportunity.
"Actually, we carry a line of premium hairpieces made from one-hundred-percent natural human hair! The quality is exquisite, and the adhesive is incredibly strong. It blends seamlessly with your natural hairline."
"Would you like to take a look, sir?"
Hooked by the pitch, Larkin's interest was instantly piqued.
He immediately followed the stylist toward the private fitting rooms.
With him out of the way, Claire finally turned her attention to Jocelyn Thorne. "Ms. Thorne. What a coincidence running into you again so soon."
Jocelyn stiffened. She hadn't realized there was a family connection between Larkin and this girl.
That meant Larkin was related to Owen by marriage.
If she really committed to stringing Larkin along, would Owen decide to meddle in her affairs?
Claire saw the panic flash in her eyes and smiled faintly.
"Don't worry. Even if Owen finds out you and Larkin are acquainted, he won't interfere."
"After all, Regina certainly doesn't care."
Heat flared in Jocelyn's cheeks. "Larkin and I are strictly platonic. I'd appreciate it if you didn't jump to conclusions."
Claire shrugged casually. "Funny. I could've sworn I saw someone who looked exactly like you at the restaurant earlier."
"Owen was having lunch with her."
"I assumed it was you, but I guess I was mistaken."
What?
The color drained from Jocelyn's face. Seraphina was back in the city?
And she had already met up with Owen?!
Had those two been secretly keeping in touch all these years?
"You must have seen my sister, Seraphina," Jocelyn replied smoothly, quickly regaining her composure.
"She and Owen are old friends."
"Actually, they used to date."
Jocelyn knew exactly what she was doing. A top-tier family like the Churchills would
never allow a woman like Seraphina to marry into their ranks.
The Thorne family's modest wealth was absolutely nothing compared to the Churchills' empire.
If Claire ran home and gossiped to Owen's parents, they would undoubtedly step in and crush the romance before it could bloom.
It was the perfect way to eliminate her sister without lifting a finger.
Claire saw right through her malicious plotting.
"Really? No wonder he treated her to lunch," she replied with wide, innocent eyes, acting completely unfazed by the revelation.
In reality, she truly didn't care.
Who Owen chose to date was entirely his business. It wasn't her place to play marriage counselor.
Jocelyn scoured Claire's face for any hint of disapproval but found nothing.
Anxiety clawed at her chest. Were Owen and Seraphina actually getting back together?
She desperately needed them to stay separated.
Larkin ended up footing the bill for
the day Claire and Yolande boet
stunning blowouts, and Sebastian opted for a complete dye job.
He had bleached his hair over the break, but with the semester starting, he needed
it back to its natural shade.
Otherwise, the administration would force him to shave his head, and Sebastian refused to compromise his good looks.
The services at a high-end salon like this weren't cheap.
But Larkin swiped his card without batting an eye.
To him, the expense was nothing more than pocket change.
Ironically, the two premium he purchased for
hairpiec
cost significantly more than the t
kids'
Styling sessions combined
Claire half-considered whipping up a few jars of a specialized hair-growth serum for him.
She could undoubtedly charge him a premium for it.
Unfortunately, her schedule was completely packed right now. She would have to pitch him the business idea another time.
If she
head of hair out of his
somehow coax a full
out of his tragically
sparse scalp, Larkin would billboard for her product."
walking
Every balding executive in the city would be trampling over each other to throw money at her.
It was a missed opportunity, she thought with a pang of regret.
After spending a few more days lounging around with her cousins, it was finally time to head to campus.
On move-in day, all three Churchill brothers practically fought over who would escort Claire to the university.
Even Edison offered to fly in from Apex just to carry her bags. Claire turned them all down, insisting she wanted to go alone. "Absolutely not. We aren't letting you move in by yourself."