Part 87

"So, you're going back to the office this Monday, right?" Antony coaxed, gazing intently at Claire. Claire shook her head in response. "Why?" he asked, confused.

"I don't want to be ignored anymore," Claire said in a whiny tone.

Instantly, Antony tensed up. "Honey, you know that's not true. Didn't I just tell you that I didn't mean to ignore you?" he replied.

Claire chuckled. She cupped Antony's face with both hands, which still bore a pouty expression. Deliberately, she pressed his cheeks together, causing his lips to pucker out, making Claire laugh even more.

"Besides, if you resign like that, you'll have to pay a penalty. Don't you care about your money?" Antony continued to try to persuade her, but Claire pulled her hands away and shrugged indifferently.

"I just need to pay it; it won't be that much," she said flatly. "Besides, what's the point of having a boyfriend who owns the company if I still have to pay the penalty with my own money?"

"What will you do after you quit? Don't you love being busy at work?" Antony asked again.

Once again, Claire shrugged. "Maybe it's time for me to focus on the restaurant," she replied flatly.

"The restaurant?" Antony looked at Claire in disbelief. "You mean working with Yudhis? Spending all day with him, like that?" he asked again, his tone demanding. Claire nodded in response. "No way, you can't work with him!" Antony objected, displeased.

Claire furrowed her brow before finally raising an eyebrow at Antony, looking puzzled.

"You know very well that Yudhis likes you. If you spend more time with him, eventually you'll start liking him back," Antony explained his concern.

Claire chuckled at Antony's unreasonable response. "He already has a fiancée; there's no way he'd easily turn his attention to me," Claire said casually.

"But Gladwin said he likes you. Besides, it's just a 'fiancée.' Even those who are 'wives' often separate when they find someone new. Who knows if he thinks he has a chance to win you back?"

"What do you mean?" Claire asked, confused.

"I mean, the frequency of your meetings could be seen as an opportunity for him to get you back," he said, sharing his male perspective.

Claire could only scoff and shake her head. She sat facing Antony, holding his face in her hands again.

"That will never happen," Claire said firmly. "I don't even have any feelings for him. So you can relax. My heart is safe; it's locked away," she said earnestly.

Antony squinted at Claire. "Are you sure you won't be tempted by Yudhis? Because, to be honest, he's younger and more handsome than I am," he said, pouting.

Claire laughed. "So you're feeling insecure right now?" she asked in a teasing tone, as if she were talking to a small child. Antony nodded his head. "Mmmm... how cute you are," Claire said, shaking her head at Antony. "Alright, I promise I won't stray; I won't be tempted by Yudhis. Should we make a written agreement?" Claire challenged.

Antony furrowed his brow, appearing to think for a moment. Then he nodded his head. "Sure, why not?" he said, causing Claire to open her mouth wide in disbelief. "But not in writing," Antony added quickly. "Just with one stamp."

"Stamp?" Claire looked at him suspiciously. Antony then pouted, asking for a kiss, which made Claire giggle. "That's your request," she replied.

"Are you going to stamp it or not?" Antony coaxed again, making Claire chuckle once more.

Claire leaned in, her hands still holding the sides of Antony's face. She brought her face closer, intending to kiss him on the lips when...

"Oh my God..." Gladwin's loud shout made both of them jump back simultaneously, staring at Gladwin, who was now covering his eyes with one hand but leaving a gap to peek through. "Please change the channel; that's adult content, and my innocent eyes might be tainted!" he said as he walked toward the kitchen and placed his groceries on the table. He was busying himself, completely ignoring the couple, who now looked awkward.

Gladwin brought the snacks he had just bought and placed them on the table where Claire and Antony were still sitting in front of him.

"So, are you two back together?" he asked in a teasing tone.

Claire turned away, embarrassed by her twin brother's question, while Antony nodded with a smile on his face.

"So, what's next?" Gladwin asked again.

"What do you mean, 'what's next'?" Claire asked, curious.

"The continuation of your engagement plans, what else? Don't start thinking too far ahead to the honeymoon," Gladwin teased as he shot an amused glance at Antony.

"Of course, the show will go on," Antony answered confidently. Gladwin nodded in understanding.

"You need to prepare yourself from now on, Claire. I'm sure that after your boyfriend's heroic act, our mother will have a heart attack," Gladwin said, a chuckle he didn't try to hide escaping his lips.

"Are you planning to be a disobedient child?" Claire asked her twin brother. Gladwin didn't respond, casually shrugging instead.

"I just want to make Mom realize that we're human, not dolls. We have our own desires and know what we want. Whatever the consequences may be, it's not Mom who determines our fate, but us and God," he said with conviction, which Antony acknowledged with a nod. However, it still scared Claire.

In the end, Antony allowed Claire to stay at Gladwin's place. It wasn't that he didn't want to take her back to her home; he very much wanted to escort her to his own house. In fact, if he could, he would prefer to take Claire straight to his home, lock her in his room, and let her stay there until the engagement day arrived. He wanted to have her all to himself, but he knew that was impossible. So, he preferred Claire to stay with Gladwin. His reason was to keep her safe, not from any criminals, but from herself, as Antony wasn't sure he could resist sneaking over to her house and doing something he had already imagined in his mind. Another reason was that he also needed Gladwin and his siblings' trust.

"I'm heading home," Antony said reluctantly.

Gladwin looked at him with a teasing expression. Just wait, that guy will eventually go crazy over a woman and won't be willing to part with her, even for a moment, just like he felt now.

"I know you want to go home; you've said it multiple times already," Gladwin said, his tone just as mocking as his expression. Claire shot an annoyed glance at her twin brother. "Just hurry up and leave. Do I need to count to a hundred every time you say goodbye before you actually leave?" he urged again.

"Gladwin," Claire said, feeling uncomfortable.

"What? A while ago, you said you didn't like him; now you're stuck to him like super glue," he teased, yet he stood up and walked into the guest room because Claire had invaded his space a few hours earlier.

Watching Gladwin's actions, Antony could only smile. Finally, the guy understood what Antony wanted.

"Has he really never fallen in love?" Antony asked as Claire stood up to walk him to the door.

Claire shook her head. "Gladwin is too busy with school and his hobbies. He's not really interested in girls. Like me, he's also afraid that our mom won't approve of his choice in women," Claire explained candidly.

Antony smiled knowingly. "One day, he'll know what it feels like to fall in love," he said with confidence. "I just hope he doesn't face too many challenges from your mom. Poor future wife. It's great if she's mentally strong enough to deal with your mother, but what if she isn't? Gladwin will be heartbroken the first time he falls in love, and the girl he loves might leave him because she can't handle your mom's attitude."

Claire nodded in agreement with Antony's words. Yes, hopefully, when her twin brother finally finds his soulmate, their mother will have changed her way of thinking. Although everyone knows that character isn't something that can change overnight.