Chapter 6

Claire walked all the way out to the balcony.

The cold wind hit her face, and only then did the tightness in her chest begin to ease.

She sniffed and cleared her throat a few times. Once her voice sounded normal again, she picked up her phone and called a friend.

He was probably busy, because it took a while before he answered.

"Hello? Claire, what's wrong? Things were hectic at the firm just now, so I didn't hear my phone."

Claire's nose suddenly stung.

"Julian..." she said, her voice carrying a trace of bitterness. "I brought my dad to the capital for treatment. His doctor said that if possible, we should have Dr. Owen take a look at him. I..."

Julian understood immediately.

"I'll help you get in touch with him."

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it. If it helps your dad get better, this is nothing."

They talked for a while before Julian changed the subject.

"What are you planning to do about Southridge? Do you need me and Professor Hart to step in?"

At the mention of her former mentor, guilt and regret washed over Claire. She almost felt too ashamed to face him.

Julian seemed to know exactly what she was thinking.

"Don't overthink it. Professor Hart may not say much, but he's never stopped thinking about you. He's always wanted you to come back.

"He found out yesterday that you finally got your architect's license. He was secretly thrilled.

"And if he knew someone had taken your spot on the Southridge project, he'd definitely help you get it back."

Claire's gaze shifted as she tightened her grip on the phone.

Over the years, there had been plenty of times when she'd wanted to return to the firm. But every time, her responsibilities at home held her back.

All she could do was read professional journals and study for certifications whenever she had spare time.

Now that she was getting divorced, she really did want to go back.

But she also knew she'd fallen behind over the years, and she wanted some time to catch up and sharpen her skills first.

"I already have a way to handle the Southridge situation. It'll be settled in two days. As for coming back, I want to spend some time studying and getting myself back up to speed first."

Julian sounded genuinely surprised.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Damn. What am I supposed to do with that? I'm actually excited. I almost want to come find you right now.

"I can't believe you're really coming back. If you'd done this two years ago, our firm might already be internationally famous."

Claire laughed. "Come on, you're giving me way too much credit."

"You're the one underestimating yourself. Professor Hart had huge expectations for you back then..."

Julian stopped abruptly, realizing he'd touched on a sore subject, then cleared his throat.

"Anyway, don't doubt yourself. Professor Hart and I are both waiting for you."

Claire lowered her eyes.

"Okay."

After they hung up, her mood was noticeably lighter.

For the first time in a long while, she felt hopeful about the future.

She smiled faintly, put away her phone, and went back to the room to spend time with her parents.

For the rest of the afternoon, she didn't think about Luke or Bella.

She didn't think about Stella either.

For once, she felt surprisingly at ease.

Of course, neither Luke nor Stella contacted her.

That evening, Claire went downstairs to the hospital restaurant to pick up dinner.

Before she left, Serena specifically reminded her to buy a few dishes Stella liked and call her to come over.

Claire knew her parents missed their granddaughter.

After a moment's thought, she agreed.

About ten minutes later, she entered the restaurant and asked a server to take her order.

Flipping through the menu, she said, "One order of barbecue ribs, and some chicken sliders..."

The glass door behind her suddenly opened again.

"Luke, we can just eat something here at the hospital. You don't have to spend so much."

"Great-Grandma, you're sick right now. You need to eat well and keep your strength up!"

That was Stella's voice.

Claire paused and looked up from the menu.

The sight behind her stopped her cold.

Stella was holding Bella's hand with one hand and Eleanor's with the other, smiling up at them sweetly.

Flora wasn't there, probably because something had come up at work.

But Luke had stayed with them the entire time. His expression was gentle, without the slightest hint of impatience.

Eleanor's pale face softened into a smile when she heard Stella.

"What a sweet girl."

Stella beamed.

Luke said, "You're not well, so I'll have the restaurant send meals up to you every day from now on."

Bella lowered her eyes with a sweet smile at his thoughtfulness.

Eleanor looked pleased too.

"That's very considerate of you, Luke."

Just then, the manager came downstairs after hearing they had arrived and personally led them toward a private dining room.

"Mr. Holt, right this way. Would you like the same dishes as before?"

Stella immediately shook her head.

"No. Dad brought Aunt Bella and me here the last few times, and I'm tired of those dishes. Let's get something different today."

"Of course, Miss Holt."

Their footsteps faded into the distance, but Claire stood there in a daze, too stunned to come back to herself.

In the past few years, she could count on one hand the number of times the three of them had eaten together as a family.

Luke had always said he was busy.

So this was where his time had gone.

He had been taking Stella out to dinner with another woman.

And the saddest part was that Claire had always worried Luke and Stella weren't eating properly.

She had worked hard to improve her cooking, constantly trying new dishes and packing food for them to take along.

She didn't even know whether they had ever eaten it.

The server noticed that Claire didn't look well and asked carefully, "Miss, are you okay? Do you still want to order, or will that be all?"

Claire came back to herself.

She looked toward the private room they had entered, then down at the list of dishes she'd chosen.

They were all Stella's favorites.

"Cancel all of these."

Her parents were waiting wholeheartedly, hoping Stella would come see them.

But Stella's heart wasn't with them.

Claire could already imagine how reluctant Stella would be if she called and asked her to leave Bella and come visit her grandparents instead.

There was no point ordering those dishes.

The server paused.

"...All right."

Claire chose a few lighter dishes instead, along with a nourishing chicken soup, and had everything packed to go.

On her way out, she happened to pass a server carrying food into the private dining room.

Several plates of seafood sat on the tray.

Claire's first thought was of Stella.

Her daughter had always been physically delicate and had a sensitive stomach. Too much seafood would upset it.

But the worry had barely surfaced before Claire pushed it aside.

She was worrying for nothing.

Luke and Bella were both there with Stella.

What could possibly happen to her?

Claire returned upstairs and ate dinner with her parents.

She told them Stella had already eaten and was at home doing homework, so she couldn't come over.

Serena and Gordon sighed in disappointment.

"School is more important."

Claire said nothing.

After dinner, she began clearing the table.

Her phone suddenly vibrated several times beside her.

The messages were from Stella.

Stella: [Mommy, where are you? Are you back in the capital?]

Stella: [Mommy...]

Claire glanced at the screen but didn't reply. She continued clearing the table, and only after she finished did she pick up her phone.

No matter what had happened, Stella was still her daughter.

Until Stella turned eighteen, Claire wasn't going to completely stop caring for her.

She called.

It took a long time for Stella to answer.

The moment the call connected, Stella gave a hurt little whimper and hung up.

Claire paused.

She had taken care of Stella for years and immediately recognized that something was wrong.

It sounded as though she'd been crying.

Concern took over, and Claire called again.

This time, Stella didn't answer at all.

With no other choice, Claire called Mrs. Jones.

The housekeeper picked up. She was downstairs getting Stella some water.

"Mrs. Holt."

"What's wrong with Stella?"

"Her stomach started hurting not long after she got home. She probably ate something that didn't agree with her, and she's been crying because she feels so awful.

"I called Dr. Lewis. He came by, prescribed some medicine, and I'm downstairs getting her some water now."

Her stomach hurt?

Claire frowned with worry and reminded Mrs. Jones to keep a close eye on her.

After hanging up, she told Serena she needed to leave for a while and took a cab back to the villa.

On the way, she thought that if Luke came home tonight, it would be the perfect time to talk to him about the divorce agreement.