Chapter 2

“Miss Claire, once we proceed with the inheritance procedures, all 72% of your shares will be transferred under your name within ten days.”

After a brief pause, David added, “When your mother passed away, she created a perfect asset isolation. Your stepmother won’t be able to get even a cent from your inheritance.”

I grunted and hung up.

When my mother passed away, my father bawled in front of her tombstone and almost collapsed.

He kept slapping himself and claimed that he lost his rationality after getting drunk and had betrayed my mother’s trust.

After my mother’s death, I withdrew from everyone and hid in my room. I did not even want to eat.

Scott was the one who barged into my room with a bowl of porridge and patiently convinced me to eat.

When I was driven to suicide and jumped, he used his own body to cushion my fall.

“Your mother is watching over you beside the Moon Goddess. I’m sure she’d want you to be happy.”

Those words kept me going, and he won my heart.

But it was at this moment that I finally realized that behind all that gentleness, there was an elaborate scheme to stab me in the back.

My phone kept vibrating, and I kept receiving more photos.

One was of Scott and Katie kissing on a cruise ship as the crowd egged them on.

One was of them holding hands on snowy plains. Behind them were fireworks.

I knew every single place shown in the photos. I went to all of them with Scott for our dates.

Right at the end was a voice message from Katie.

“Claire, I went to every single hotel you did one day ahead of you. My scent might still have been lingering in the beds you slept in.

“By the way, didn’t Scott promise to hold you in bed every night? Well, after you fell asleep, he held me instead.”

Katie’s voice made my stomach churn.

“Blargh!”

As I finished puking, Scott threw the door open.

“Claire? Why is your morning sickness so bad? I’ll make something for you right now!”

He moved quickly. Soon, he brought in a steamed salmon.

It was one of the meals suitable for pregnant she-wolves, and he had learned the recipe from a Michelin-starred chef.

To learn the dish, he had canceled three important meetings.

Hope shone in Scott’s eyes. I knew that he was waiting for me to feel touched and throw myself into his arms again, just like before.

When I did not move, he was stunned.

He put the tray by the side and massaged my temples as usual.

“Scott,” I suddenly said, “are you hiding something from me?”

Since he had held me tightly when I jumped off a building all those years ago, and three of his ribs had been broken because of the impact, I was willing to give him a chance.

“What on earth are you saying? You are the love of my life. I wouldn’t hide anything from you.”

I stared at him, but there was only love in his eyes.

If I had not seen those photos, I would have believed him completely.

Love of his life. What a joke!

Scott looked into my eyes and chuckled.

“I know that you want me to pamper you whenever you ask such questions.”

He drew closer to kiss me.

But suddenly, thunder boomed.

By pure reflex, I hid myself under the blanket.

I had not cowered in fear of thunder in three years.

As a child, I would crawl into my mother’s bed during thunderstorms. After she passed away, I thought that I could find that same sort of safety from Scott, but that safety was an illusion. I started crying uncontrollably.

Scott hugged me. “Calm down. I’m here.”

His hug felt as warm as ever, but it sent shivers down my spine.

Right then, a servant rushed in and whispered into Scott’s ear.

His face changed, but he pretended to remain composed.

“Can’t you see that Claire is right here? I’m not going anywhere without putting her to sleep!”

He patted my back gently but kept glancing at the door.

“Sleep. I’ll keep you company here.”

Once he was sure that I had fallen asleep, he ran out.

My phone screen lit up.

The photos Katie sent were all very indecent.

The messy bedsheets, Scott’s muscular naked back, and all sorts of wet adult toys.

At the end was a voice message. Katie panted as she spoke.

“Scott hasn’t slept with you since your pregnancy, has he? But he can’t hold back when he sees me…

“I heard that Scott hasn’t named your pup. Ours is going to be Claire. That’s a name we decided on when we were still dating.”

Then, she sent another photo.

Katie showed off the tattoo on her chest. It was in the same spot as Scott’s tattoo.

It was the same tattoo as his, which spelled “Claire.”

My mind went blank.

I had cried when I first saw the tattoo and touched it. He had a complicated look in his eyes at that time. I realized that it had been guilt.

Whenever he called my name, he was thinking about another person.

My entire life from the past three years had been a cruel joke.

I sat in dejected silence until the sun rose, and finally, I sent a reply to the person who had been waiting for a long time.

Hoills, my brother.

[Hoills, I want to leave with you.]