Claire stiffened like a statue upon seeing Javier. All words failed her as she recalled her firm claims to leave the country days ago. She subconsciously took two steps backward, musing, “Javier must think I’m lying. I bet he won’t spare me now.”Unlike her, Oliver’s eyes rounded and sparkled as he ran to hug Javier’s leg. “Dad! Yay, you’re here! I’ve missed you.”Creases formed on Shawn’s forehead while he mentally exclaimed, “This boy’s cute but way too naive. How could he call a random stranger his dad? What’s worse? He called Javier—of all people— his dad! Everyone knows about Javier’s aloof nature. It doesn’t matter if it’s a child; Javier won’t hesitate to kick the child out of there if he’s angry.”That thought made him rush toward the boy, coaxing, “Hey, buddy. You must be mistaken. This man isn’t your dad, so you can’t call him that, okay?”He squatted down, trying to lead the boy away from Javier. However, Oliver ignored the former and flashed a pair of puppy dog eyes at Jav

Armand’s eyebrows wrinkled into a deep frown. “I didn’t blame you for betraying me back then because Chantelle stayed by my side and helped me move on. So, don’t you dare hurt her now, or I’ll make you regret it—”“Does that mean you’ve barged into my new home just to get even with me for threatening her earlier?” Claire sneered.At that moment, Armand was at a loss for words. This colder, more hostile version of Claire seemed unfamiliar to him; he recalled she had always been demure in the past, which was a stark contrast to her outspoken self now. An ache spread throughout his chest at the thought of her drastic changes over the years. Shutting his eyes helplessly, Armand mentally reminded himself that Claire had betrayed him, so there was no point viewing her as the old Claire. “I don’t know why you’ve changed into this new person, but Chantelle is a great woman. Chantelle kept bringing you up when you left the country, and it was because of her that your father allowed you to retu

Javier’s words left Claire sleepless all night. She kept tossing and turning as she thought about Armand’s threats and Oliver’s crying face if he were to get kidnapped by the Weiss family. Her heart shattered into a million pieces as she realized many would forcefully rip Oliver from her life. Laying on her side, she still couldn’t make up her mind. Claire continued weighing the options in her mind, thinking, “Javier’s offer is enticing and can solve all my problems, but I can’t selfishly accept it without considering his feelings.”The thoughts kept her up all night, so she only slept lightly after dawn. She and Oliver were exhausted from the many events these past few days, so they slept in. A rare smile spread across Claire’s face when she saw her son sleeping. Claire pecked his cheek, then prepared to travel to Stardust Entertainment for work. After having her breakfast, she heard several loud knocks on her door. The frequency increased dramatically, which differed from how Javier

When Claire realized this, she immediately brought it up with Javier. “I think you missed out on the marriage obligations.”Hearing this, Javier sneered at her and gave her a calculative once-over. “Don’t worry, I’m not that desperate. I have high standards.”After that, he added another term to the contract.Claire was speechless. This man was so mean. He didn’t have to mock her before adding on an extra term.However, she was relieved that he did. Even though they were married now, she wanted to keep it fake.Everyone knew that Javier was not one to cross. If their relationship became complicated, the consequences would be more than she could deal with.Claire checked the contract again. Everything seemed okay, so she signed her name at the bottom of the document.Javier gave her a copy of the contract without much argument.After that, Javier brought Claire to his living quarters, Diroux Residences.Claire was shocked when she first found out that Javier was staying at Diroux Reside

When Claire got home, she couldn’t help but feel depressed at the thought of starting her job search again the next day.She had already resigned herself to working at that small company, but then this happened.Seeing that Claire was in a bad mood, Ollie pulled on her sleeve and asked, “Mommy, what’s wrong? Did somebody make you mad?”Claire felt warmed by his concern. She leaned down and picked him up in her arms.“Ollie, I might be losing my job. I may not afford to take care of you,” she said, her eyes reddening. She did not want Ollie to suffer.Ollie shook his head. “It’s alright, Mommy. Dad can afford to take care of both of us.”Hearing this, Claire turned serious and said sternly, “Ollie, you shouldn’t say that. His money is his and his only. As a woman, I need to have my own career. I shouldn’t rely on a man.”Seeing Ollie’s confusion, she added, “Of course, this doesn’t apply to my son. When you grow up, you should give your money to me and not your wife. Don’t put anyone be