Chapter 15 She’s Never Coming Back
The call connected almost immediately.
“Miss Lane.”
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Trevor’s voice came through the line, smooth and pleasant, like a spring breeze. It caught Claudia off guard for a second.
But she quickly recovered, greeted him politely, and got straight to the point.
“Sir, about your invitation–I’m a little confused.”
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She paused for two seconds, then gently declined. “I assumed our collaboration ended after the suit was delivered.”
Now that she was sure this was the eldest son of the Taurine family, she was even less interested in continuing contact.
Whether it was the faint scent of blood she’d smelled on him that day, or the fact that his younger brother was a full–blown lunatic–Claudia wanted to stay far away.
That whole family’s got issues.
Trevor let out a soft chuckle, clearly picking up on the underlying meaning in her words.
“Ms. Claudia.”
This time, he addressed her by her real name, his voice warm and full of ease. “I was very satisfied with your work. This is just a small family banquet–consider it a token of thanks. Won’t you give me the honor?”
He was laying it out clearly.
His tone was as gentle as ever, but the pressure behind the words was unmistakable.
Claudia suddenly realized that, in some ways, the Taurine brothers weren’t so different. Both were aggressive in their own way–only the elder brother was far more polished and strategic.
With that kind of wording, it would be hard to refuse outright.
Still…
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Claudia stayed quiet for a few seconds, then finally asked, “Mr. Trevor, as far as I know, we’ve only ever interacted over a single custom order. For such a private event like a family banquet, isn’t it a bit inappropriate for me to attend as an outsider?”
She and Alan were married in secret. The public only knew Alan was married–no one really knew who his wife was. In the social circles, only a few close Moore family friends knew, since Alan never brought her to any events.
So as far as society was concerned, Alan’s wife was basically a ghost.
mothy had always made it
Though the Moore and Taurine families were on good terms, clear he despised her, and Claudia had never interacted with the Taurines because of that.
Trevor had spent years abroad. Until recently, they’d never even met. She had assumed he didn’t know who she was.
But now he could call her by name, while the invitation had been sent to her professional alias, Lane.
That meant the invitation wasn’t about her being Alan’s wife–it was for her, personally.
Which made it even more strange.
Trevor’s voice remained warm and composed. “I admire you.”
Okay, that’s not exactly convincing. What did he know about her that was worth admiring? Yes, she was confident in her design skills–but still.
Her instincts told her his so–called admiration probably wasn’t as simple as it sounded.
Maybe realizing how vague he sounded, Trevor chuckled again and said, “You’ll understand when you come to the banquet.”
Claudia had more questions, but she could tell–his voice, while still polite, had cooled noticeably. He was already losing patience.
After hanging up, Claudia stood there frowning for a moment before opening her contacts.
She was still confused.
So she decided to call the friend who’d originally referred her to this job.
It was a million–yuan commission from a friend in the high society circle. She’d gotten other great referrals from them before, so she hadn’t thought much of it at the time.
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The client was mysterious, but she trusted the connection.
Now, though, she needed answers.
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Just as she was about to make the call, she heard a familiar, gentle voice call out from a distance:
“Claudia! Claudia! I’m over here!”
It was her mother–in–law, Nancy.
Claudia looked up to see a soft, elegant woman in a long white down coat waving and walking briskly toward her, two men in black suits following close behind.
Claudia put her phone away.
Before the older woman could reach her, Claudia stepped forward, took her chilled hand, and quickly helped her into the car.
Her mother–in–law had always had frail health–she absolutely couldn’t be exposed to the
cold.
“Mom, it’s freezing. You should’ve just sent someone to pick me up. What if you caught a chill? You didn’t even wear gloves!”
Claudia took the pre–warmed gloves from the bodyguard in the front seat and slipped them onto her mother–in–law’s hands.
After giving birth to her second son eighteen years ago, Nancy’s health had declined sharply and never fully recovered. The whole household always panicked whenever she fell ill.
Before Claudia could say more, she looked up to see her mother–in–law smiling at her.
Even in her fifties, her face bore no trace of age. Her entire presence radiated a gentle, serene glow. There was a trace of delicate sadness in her brows, but her features were soft and pink and carried a youthful charm.
It was clear she’d been well protected, both in her birth family and in the Moore family. Her eyes were still as pure as a child’s.
Being looked at like that–it was impossible to stay mad. Claudia’s heart softened.
She sighed. “Mom, please don’t do this next time. If you get sick, we’ll all be worried.”
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Chapter 15 She’s Never Coming Back
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Nancy nodded sweetly, then pulled out another pair of warm gloves and forced Claudia to wear them too.
The car’s heater was on and Claudia didn’t need them, but she gave in under her mother–in- law’s gentle insistence.
On the ride back, Nancy chattered away, occasionally complaining that neither Claudia nor Alan had come to visit lately. Only her grandson stopped by now and then. She even declared that when Alan came home, she’d beat him with the family rod!
Claudia listened quietly, responding now and then.
She had come from a broken home. Her parents had treated her like a blood bank for her younger brother. After she was accepted into Northwind University, they had even tried to sell her off for a dowry to buy her brother a house.
If not for a benefactor stepping in, her life might’ve ended in a living hell.
She’d loved Alan once, but more than that, she’d always envied him–envied the mother who loved him so deeply. It was the kind of love she had dreamed of as a child but never received.
After marrying into the Moore family, she had tasted a sliver of that love.
Her mother–in–law had been the biggest, most beautiful surprise in an otherwise wrecked marriage. But life was always cruel. The most beautiful things slipped through her fingers like sand.
Some things were simply never meant to be yours.
Once the divorce was finalized, the Moore family would be part of her past. She wouldn’t be coming back to the estate.
Her bond with this kind, delicate woman would also end there.
Claudia’s heart sank with the thought. She couldn’t help herself–she reached out and gently took Nancy’s hand.
“Mom, could I ask you to push Alan a bit? Have him come to the estate tonight-”
She remembered how urgent Alan had seemed when he left and quickly added, “Or tomorrow night, that’s fine too. Just… sometime in the next couple days. It’s been a while since we all sat down for a family dinner.”
Alan had been dodging her for days. She’d hoped dinner tonight would be the perfect time to talk, but halfway there, he had ditched her and taken their son to chase after his crush.
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Her patience was running thin.
If she couldn’t get Alan to face her, maybe his mother could.
Once she cornered him, the divorce would be done.
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Nancy didn’t know what she was thinking, but she agreed right away–promising that the moment Alan got back, she’d deal with him herself.
Claudia had already made up her mind. She simply smiled and let her mother–in–law talk, but said nothing more.
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