Claire Ward Novels & Stories

The Announcement Claire had always hated the spotlight. Growing up in high society, she had been paraded around at charity events, forced to smile for cameras while her stepfather and Ava played the perfect family. She had been a pawn in their games, a means to an end. And now, she was doing it all over again. Only this time, she wasn’t the girl trapped in their shadows. This time, she was Claire Blackwood. A name that came with power. Influence. Fear.

she let out a dry chuckle, “…said enough.” He looked at her, no excuses left, just silence. He didn’t argue. He just sat there, staring at her, as if memorizing every inch of her face. The silence stretched until Claire looked away, sipping her drink, trying to steady herself. Then Darren’s phone buzzed on the table, breaking the tension. He glanced at it, expecting another news alert about the board or some investor updates. Instead, it was a message from one of his old friends. “We finally found the perfect store for Wanda.” the text read, followed by a photo.

she said to me. "Claire is my childhood friend and the daughter of my father's friend alpha Zadora, we grew up together, and we have spent so much time with each other that at one point we thought we were mates, but when I turned 18, we found out that we are not, but she is still attached to me.

Yvonne whisked Claire away, leaving the others. After the introductions, they sat down, and Arnold introduced Claire to everyone. The party relaxed into soft music and casual conversations, with some guests enjoying drinks. "Who is that?" Claire whispered to Yvonne, nodding toward a woman Chris was gazing at. "Who?" Yvonne asked, following Claire's gaze. Claire pointed discreetly. "The lady Chris is staring at." Yvonne chuckled. "That's Miss Cera Scott, an actress and model."

Caddaric assured her before saying to the woman who was still kneeling, “You took good care of her so we shall ensure your protection and compensate you. Claire, please ensure that she gets home safely and all her compensations are paid.” “Yes uncle,” Claire said, just as her phone rang. Bringing it out, her lips thinned and she smiled, muttering, “Just a minute uncle,” she said and walked out. Caddaric stared at Carson suspiciously and he later said, “Please don’t ask me. She danced with Lord Marvin throughout last night and that was the same smile she had,” he shrugged. Caddaric understood quite well and was about to say something when Claire returned and said, “I’ll take her now but I won

“No. It’s a warning. Walk away now, and I’ll make sure you’re taken care of. Financially. Quietly. You’ll never want for anything.” Ava’s throat tightened. “I don’t want your money.” Claire shrugged, unfazed. “Then prepare to be erased.” Ava didn’t answer. She just stepped forward and slammed the door in her face. Then the silence came. She remained solitary, heart racing, breaths taken in quick gasps. She collapsed onto the bed as her knees gave way, her arms clenching around herself while cries shook her body. The tears flowed quickly, obscuring everything. Claire wasn’t merely a woman with an enchanting smile, she was a powerhouse. Magnetism. Immovable. The type of presence that occupied

The majordomo is there, and he waits for Hannah to signal him before the guards open the doors and he announces, “Tara and Clare, formerly of the Toronto pack.” The “formerly” part of the sentence has to sting. So does, I imagine, the part where their last names have been stripped from them. Even from across the throne room, I see Tara flinch. But Clare holds her head up regally as they approach, and they both curtsey when they reach the dais, but I jump up and nearly tackle them. “I’m so glad you’re okay!” I don’t care that tears roll down my face while I hug them. Clare steps back and motions to her clothing. “I’m wearing overalls and an unraveling acrylic sweater from Value Village. Do I

Everything happening below was in full view. Across from me sat Claire. She wore a simple, elegant dress today. Without the heavy makeup she used for livestreams, she looked fresh and pure, like a dewy lily in the morning. She smiled at me apologetically. "Cheryl, I'm sorry to have caused trouble for you and Mr. Maynard." I shook my head and poured her a cup of coffee. "It's not your fault. Simon chose this path himself." To be fair, Claire spoke gracefully, her gaze clear, her plans for the future well defined. She told me she had taken up livestreaming to raise money for studying abroad.

Claire nodded and excused herself from the cook. She looked very aggrieved and sad but said nothing about it. 20 minutes later, Claire came out of her and Gordon's bedroom. Wearing a professional suit pant, a button down top, her hair was styled into a ponytail and long earrings dangled from her ears. Her short heels clicked on the stairs as she stepped down. Claire had impeccable dressing sense, she had walked into the huge closet and got filled with excitement seeing all the clothes she could wear and style to her satisfaction.

"She's young and sheltered. She's not used to this kind of world yet." Violet merely turned away and remained silent for the rest of the ride. ~*~ Standing in front of the mirror, Clare glanced over her shoulders and twirled around to view her profile. She had so many beautiful well-tailored dresses that it had become a struggle for her to choose. She never had this problem when she was only wearing work uniforms. Most girls would kill to have her wardrobe right now, but Clare thought she was going to develop a fashion anxiety. She had begged Shirley to stop supplying her any more clothes, but the only response she got was, "It's part of the job." Or "Her Grace would want you to have them."