Part 46

In the morning, Claire went to the office as usual. She decided to follow Gladwin's advice and not think about anything regarding Antony. After all, she didn't feel anything for the guy.

Claire did like Flavia. What she felt for that girl was almost the same as what she felt for Abigail. But that was as far as it went; nothing more. Even the frustration she felt towards Antony, she considered to be a normal annoyance. After all, if the same situation happened to someone else, they would feel the same frustration she felt.

Claire sat at her desk. Bella was already there, although not fully ready for work.

"Morning," her friend greeted her.

"Morning," Claire replied casually.

Claire began her routine as usual, turning on her computer screen and then brewing her coffee. After that, she tackled all the reports that had piled up, as was typical for Mondays. By lunchtime, she finally looked up and was ready to go out with Bella.

"Are you not driving?" Bella asked as they descended to the lobby. Claire shook her head.

"I got a ride to the office from Gladwin," she replied briefly.

As a result, they chose to walk to the café, which wasn't far from the office building. Claire and Bella were surprised to see Antony already there, accompanied by his secretary, Silvya. Silvya was specially recruited for Antony from a well-known employment agency in their city, and according to the rumors she had heard, Silvya's contract would end if Antony returned to Manhattan.

Just like when they first saw Anastasia, when Silvya first appeared, the men in Claire's division seemed to worship her. Silvya had the build of a runway model. Her face was beautiful, with long, natural brown hair. The first impression upon seeing Silvya was that she was a 'high-end' woman.

"For special occasions, even the secretary is chosen specially," Bella commented beside her while watching Antony and Silvya.

Claire tried to ignore Antony's presence, but Bella's words made her pay attention to the two of them again. Claire responded to her friend's comment with a small smile.

"It's strange; why would the boss choose to eat at a simple café like this? Why doesn't he go to a five-star restaurant?" Bella asked again.

"How would I know? Maybe he spent all his money buying a wedding gift for Chand yesterday," Claire replied flatly.

After getting their food, Claire looked for an empty spot where she and Bella could sit. The café was usually busy during lunchtime, so it wasn't unusual for them to be hunting for a table. Claire had targeted a spot, but just three steps into her walk, it was already taken by someone else, making Claire and Bella sigh in resignation.

"Shall we just join them?" Bella nodded toward where Antony and Silvya were sitting. Whether the man knew Claire was there or not, he hadn't looked up at all since earlier.

"Let's find another place," Claire replied.

They looked around the area again, and the only available spots they found were two tables to the right of Antony. Bella, not wanting to search any longer, finally pulled Claire to that side. When Claire suspected Bella would lead her to one of those tables, she was mistaken. Bella instead directed her toward Antony and Silvya's table.

"Can we sit here?" Bella asked, mostly addressing Silvya. The girl looked up, then nodded.

Claire purposely sat next to Silvya while Bella took a seat beside Antony, giving them more space by shifting her chair to the farthest side. Neither Claire nor Bella greeted Antony. They acted as if they didn't know each other, which was exactly what Claire wanted. She didn't want any relationship outside of work and had no intention of being a bridge between Flavia and her father. If Antony wanted to get closer to Flavia, he could make the effort himself or ask Abigail for help, but not her.

They ate in silence. Neither Bella nor Claire spoke much. They only listened as Silvya tried to find conversation topics with Antony, who responded with short answers every time he was asked.

He's so stingy with his words, Claire thought to herself.

Bella occasionally kicked Claire's leg with her bare foot. Claire frowned and stared at her questioningly, but Bella just responded with a small giggle.

After they finished eating, they cleaned up their area and placed their dishes in the appropriate spot. "Silvya is clearly trying to get Sir Antony's attention. Doesn't she feel embarrassed getting such a cold response?" Bella commented as they left the café.

"Stop meddling in other people's affairs," Claire replied, reminding her.

"Aren't you jealous?" Bella asked, curious. Claire scoffed.

"Who should I be jealous of?" she asked, her tone mocking.

They watched as the car carrying Antony and Silvya passed by, and now it was Claire who commented, "Look at them; they match so well. It seems like Sir Antony is better suited for Silvya than for Anastasia." This comment left Bella gaping in response.

"Are you sure you don't feel jealous?" she asked, confused.

Claire smirked. "Not at all," she replied flatly. "And why should I feel jealous if I don't have any feelings for him?"

Meanwhile, in the car, Antony couldn't take his eyes off Claire. He had noticed her presence as soon as she entered the restaurant; however, he acted as if he hadn't seen her. Even Silvya had informed him when she spotted Bella and Claire arriving, yet Antony continued to pretend to ignore it.

When Claire sat across from him, he still acted as though she weren't there. It wasn't that he didn't want to greet her. He actually felt an intense urge to ask her why she returned to Kansas without telling him and to inquire what time she got home yesterday, wondering if she got stuck in traffic. But he held back all his questions. This was all based on Gian's advice, the playboy, who had suggested he not show too much interest in Claire.

Gian had clearly told Antony that he needed to maintain his authority and act cool, rather than looking desperate and chasing after Claire. According to Gian, Antony should make Claire curious about him, ultimately leading her to become interested and pursue him in return.

After some reflection, Antony felt that Gian's advice was right. That's why, this morning, he hadn't flirted with Claire when she was in the pantry making coffee. He also hadn't acknowledged her when she walked down the hallway as he was heading out for a meeting. And just earlier in the restaurant, he hadn't greeted her to maintain his image. Unfortunately, Claire hadn't greeted him either and even acted as if they were strangers.

Would Gian's advice really lead to his desire to get closer to Claire? Why was he suddenly having doubts now?