The Bride He Cast Away on Their Wedding Night

Chapter 13 Leave

　　Claire didn't really react to her exaggerated expression—just gave a soft "mm."

　　"My brother, Adrian. We haven't made it public yet to avoid unnecessary drama. Hope you can keep it to yourself for now, Miss Grant."

　　Alyssa nodded blankly, still trying to process everything she just heard.

　　A beat later, she blurted, "Don't worry, I won't tell a soul!"

　　Claire chuckled at her dazed look. "Thanks for speaking up for me tonight. Let me treat you to a meal sometime if you're free."

　　She already had a good impression of Alyssa, and they had swapped contact info during the ride from the villa.

　　Alyssa quickly waved her hands. "Oh no, no! That's really not necessary!"

　　She always felt uneasy getting involved with people she admired. And thinking about her humiliating past online... yeah, all she wanted was to disappear ASAP.

　　Adrian straightened up slightly, his eyes locking onto her face calmly, cutting in before she could keep declining.

　　"Come on, don't be shy. You stood up for my little sister—the least we can do is treat you to a thank-you meal."

　　Then, with a half-smile, he added,

　　"Not gonna lie, I've got some selfish reasons too. You're gonna blow up, seriously. Ever thought about joining XR? We'll cover the penalty. Just pack your things and make the switch."

　　Alyssa blinked in disbelief, pointing at herself. Took her a second to find her voice.

　　"Me? Mr. Bennett, are you serious?"

　　She laughed awkwardly, waving it off as if "blow up" wasn't even a remote possibility for someone like her—more like "permanently canceled."

　　Adrian didn't push, just casually handed her a business card. "No pressure. Just think about it. If you're ever considering jumping ship, give me a call. Or reach out through Claire."

　　He slipped the card into her palm, and before she could say a word, the two of them had already driven off.

　　For a second there, Alyssa thought the whole thing had to be a dream... well, if dreams came printed on a fancy gold-foiled business card.

　　—

　　The red sports car sped down the road.

　　Adrian glanced over at the woman next to him, fingers flying over her laptop keyboard like she hadn't been fazed at all."Hey princess, where are we headed? Wanna crash at my place? Skip Oliver's, he's swamped lately. Let's not bother him, yeah?"

　　Claire paused what she was doing, gave Adrian a smirk. "Oh? So you're not busy? You picked me up and still juggling work. Wouldn't wanna be a bother to you either, huh?"

　　"I'm not busy at all! Work's just background noise to me."

　　Claire chuckled softly.

　　She double-checked everything, making sure no trace was left behind, then shut her laptop.

　　"Let's swing by Silverhollow Villa first."

　　Adrian almost slammed on the gas instead of the brake. "Wait, you're seriously going back to that jerk's place?"

　　Leaning her chin on her hand, Claire stared at the night flying past the window. "If I really want a fresh start, I need to cut ties with everything from before. Still got a few things there. Wouldn't be polite to leave my stuff in that bastard's house."

　　Adrian burst out laughing. "Not polite—that's gold!"

　　They pulled up outside Silverhollow Villa in no time. Adrian managed the thirty-minute drive in twenty flat.

　　She had wiped the slate clean. The last few years spent overseas, everything about her had been intentionally erased.

　　Instead of untangling the vines that didn't belong together, better to just transplant the wrong one somewhere else.

　　With her beloved roses in hand, Claire left with a light heart.

　　"My contract with Cooper Corp is up. Take me to sign with your company in a few days."

　　"Not going through Oliver?"

　　"Jewelry and fashion are meant to be worn. If your artists need something for events, they can use them directly. It's a win-win. Oliver won't mind."

　　"Deal."

　　The red sports car roared past, leaving a string of laughter echoing behind.

　　Maybe it was the flashiness of the color, but as they sped past a familiar black Spyker, the guy behind the wheel glanced casually their way—

　　Inside the car, Nelson's pupils suddenly shrank. The screech of sudden braking cut sharply through the quiet night.

　　Under the streetlight next to a sycamore, he caught a glimpse of a familiar profile—

　　Claire. Thompson.