Thank you for reading. Sorry for not updating the past two days, I was on a break after exhausting myself. I'll upload more chapters soon.
"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
Katherine Scott had noticed something different about her daughter lately. She smiled a lot and often giggled to herself like a teenager who was deeply in love for the first time. They talked less about their plans for revenge and Claire seemed to be avoiding her for some reason. That night, she waited for Claire to return so that she could ask her what was going on. However, the moment Claire came home, she rushed to call Thalia who called Oliver Ford her Daddy. This discovery hurt and angered Katherine at the same time. After what she had told Claire about the Fords, how could she go behind her back and interact with them? Not only that, they now knew Thalia was Oliver's daughter... it was only a matter of time before they found out about her and the plans they had. “Mom...” Claire said, sighing deeply. “I heard Thalia calling Oliver Ford Daddy. Did you tell him?” Katherine Scott asked in an accusatory tone. Her eyes fell on the teddy bear that Thalia was holding tightly
“I’m sorry I cut your call the last time you called... I was in an important meeting,” Wesley explained to Claire as they had their lunch. “It’s ok... I needed your help with something but I sorted it out,” Claire replied and remembered how Oliver went out of his way to search for Thalia. Warmth began to spread through her heart but she shook her head, immediately squashing those thoughts that were leading to one Oliver Ford. 'Don't think about him, Claire. Remember why you came here,' she silently scolded herself. “What happened?” Wesley asked curiously. “My daughter was kidnapped but luckily we found her quickly,” Claire replied, a shiver running down her spine at the memory. “Have you found the culprit? I can help you investigate –“ “Thank you but Oliver is handling it,” Claire cut in, rejecting his offer. Speaking of, she had not asked him about the progress yet. She needed to know who kidnapped her baby girl and why. “Oliver, huh? You two close again?” Wesley asked after a
In the evening, the family of three ate out before going to the villa instead of the usual penthouse that Oliver stayed in. “You have two homes?” Claire asked as they drove into a gated community for the wealthy. “I want this villa to be my home... Our home,” Oliver responded as he manoeuvred the car and drove into a big yard. There was a massive mansion at the end of the yard. It stood tall and proud amidst neatly maintained lawns and lush gardens. The mansion was like a five-star hotel, with towering walls and a majestic entrance gate adorned with intricate designs. “Wow! Our home is big!” Thalia exclaimed as she glanced at the mansion in awe. It wasn’t as big as Roxanne’s and Henry’s but it was big enough for a family of six. It had a modern touch with most of the walls being made of floor-to-ceiling windows. When they walked through the massive doors, Claire froze in her tracks. The house was exactly how she had envisioned her dream house. With creamy neutrals incorporate