Thank you for reading.
Oliver's eyebrows creased and a flare of anger rushed through him. So, the person knew Thalia was his daughter and they still went ahead to kidnap her? They must have been courting death. "Who is it?" He practically growled, his jaws clenching from anger. However, he didn't expect the name that left Dante's lips. "It's Jessica Hart. I heard she wanted to drive Claire and her daughter away from Brentwood City." Oliver's eyes flitted with flames of fury. "Is he willing to testify against her?" He asked through gritted teeth. "The bastard bit his tongue," Dante hissed, clearly frustrated. "He didn't want to confess until we almost tortured him to death. It seems he owed the Harts a lot, why else would he kill himself for them?" "Ok... I'll deal with it. Thanks for the help," Oliver replied and ran a hand through his hair, pulling at his locks roughly. He then grabbed his car keys and drove to the Hart mansion in a blind rage. How dare they mess with his family? Oliver already
Claire was in her office when Oliver walked in wearing a tailor-made navy suit. His sandy brown hair was styled into an elegant quiff with the top part longer than the sides and the back. He flashed Claire a smile, his hands in his pockets as he proposed, "I want to have lunch with you." Claire raised an eyebrow. Despite him looking like a god, she couldn't spend time alone with him. She shook her head and replied, "I'm afraid I'm going to decline, Mr Ford-" "Really? Are you still going to call me Mr Ford? Claire, we have a daughter... I don't like this distance between us," Oliver stated, his eyes boring into Claire. "It's just lunch and there's also something I want to talk to you about." "What is it that you want to talk about?" Claire asked. "You can say it here." "No... it's lunch time and I don't want to starve you. Let's talk as we eat," Oliver insisted. He then added, "It's about Thalia too. We need to discuss how we are going to do this, not so?" Claire sighed, know
“Add an Oreo-flavoured ice cream for my beautiful lady here,” Oliver said to the ice cream vendor at the amusement park after Thalia had placed her order. “Is she the mother of your adorable daughter?” The vendor asked as he prepared the orders, glancing fleetingly at Claire who stood behind Oliver and Thalia. Oliver smiled, his heart stirring at the mention of Claire being the mother of his child. He nodded proudly and replied, “Yes, she is.” The gender smiled and remarked, “You make such a lovely couple.” Claire’s eyes widened and her face flushed. She frantically waved her hand at the vendor and stammered, “N-no, w-we’re no-” “Thank you for the compliment,” Oliver cut in, stopping Claire’s refusal. “You’ve got a beautiful family, cherish it,” the vendor told Oliver who grinned from ear to ear. “I’ll cherish them with my life,” he responded. Claire’s face continued to burn as the two talked. She wanted to correct the man but she thought twice about it… she couldn’t. No
"Thalia!" A gasp left Claire's lips just as a deep flush crossed her face and spread to her neck. She could feel Oliver's eyes on her and she didn't dare look up at him, her heart pounding. "She isn't wrong, Ma'am. A picture of you and your husband sharing a kiss would look lovely in your home," the photographer urged. "Yes, yes! You can frame it and hang it on the wall! I've seen many families do that," Thalia remarked. "Daddy, what are you waiting for? Give Mommy a kiss and take a picture." Claire was about to argue when Oliver tightened his hold around her waist and declared, "Ok, I'll give Mommy a kiss." "No, you're not!" Claire snapped, glaring up at Oliver. "It's just an innocent kiss... Thalia is watching," Oliver pointed out in a low voice that only the two of them could hear. Claire glanced at Thalia and saw how her large doe eyes glinted in anticipation. She wound up biting back the refusal that was on the tip of her tongue. Sighing deeply, she silently agreed. "
The hours passed by in a pleasant blur and soon, the sun began to set, casting an ember glow to the sky. Looking at the time, Claire was about to suggest leaving when her phone interrupted her. Seeing that it was Roxanne Smith-Ford calling, she quickly picked up. "Yes, Auntie." "Claire, dear, can you come over to our mansion?" Roxanne requested. "I've made dinner and I want Thalia to see her other home. Is that ok with you?"Claire bit her lip. Warmth crept into her when Roxanne asked her if she was ok with it. Others would have just demanded to see the child without caring whether she was ok with it or not. She turned her head and glanced over at Thalia and Oliver who didn't seem ready to part with each other yet. Sighing internally, she agreed, "Sure. We will be there soon." When she cut the call, Claire walked over to the two and asked her daughter, "Do you want to go to Grandma Roxanne's home?" Thalia's eyes lit up and she nodded her head too many times, exclaiming, "Y
"Mommy, can we sleep here tonight? Grandma wants to read me stories," Thalia asked Claire whilst rubbing her sleepy eyes. Claire knew her daughter wouldn't even listen to the story since she was already sleepy. However, the child appeared to want to spend more time with her father's family. "You can stay the night, Claire. Oliver’s room is available," Roxanne said and winked at her son. "I don't mind if you make me another grandchild." Claire's face flushed. Her eyes widened and she stammered, "I - I don't think... oh my god! Him and I are not- Um..." "Relax. You will be in the guest room," Oliver remarked in amusement and Claire breathed out in relief. She glanced at the older couple and stated, "We will stay the night since Thalia is already sleepy." They were done with dinner a little while ago and were sitting in the living area. Roxanne wanted to help Oliver with pursuing Claire so she told Thalia to ask her mother if they could stay overnight. "We will leave you two to c
“Give me a chance to show you that I can still be your friend,” Oliver stated while looking into Claire’s hazel-green eyes. His cerulean blue eyes held so many emotions and when he looked at Claire, it was like he could peer right into the depths of her soul. Claire sighed, her heart pounding as she held the teddy bear close to her chest. This teddy bear was the only special thing she owned back then. It was the only thing that reminded her of her mother, yet, she gave it to Oliver on his ninth birthday since she didn’t have money to buy him any gift like the other rich kids. At first, she thought Oliver wouldn’t like it since it didn’t compare to the expensive gifts he had received. However, not only did he like it but he had been keeping it all this while. Her stomach did a little flip when she thought about why he would hold on to a gift that she had given him years ago. The icy walls around her heart melted. She glanced up at Oliver and replied, “I don’t know if we can be
Claire blushed profusely when they pulled apart and the cheers of their colleagues made it worse. Oliver smirked in amusement. He stepped forward and suddenly grabbed the back of her neck. Claire gasped. Her eyes rounded at him and she asked, "W-what are you doing?" "Stay still," Oliver whispered, his voice huskier than normal. "We can only eat the apple at the same time if the both of us are still." Claire's stomach was a fluttery mess as Oliver looked into her eyes. The apple swang by and she watched as he bit into it before bringing the apple to her lips. Heat crept up her face as they both took bites of the apple, never leaving their positions. It looked like they were sharing a deep kiss as their heads moved slowly from side to side, trying to eat the apple at every angle. To Oliver, this game was so hot. He felt a pleasurable tingle rush down his spine and he tried his best to hold back a groan. As the apple got smaller, the closer he was to Claire's lips. Going in f