Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Chapter 2 The Man Who Slept with You That Night
Four years later.
Sean Vanderbilt, the pride of the Vanderbilts, had not returned to Ascalon but had been living in Silverton.
While others might not know why, Victor certainly did.
Mr. Sean was butting heads with Claire!
The woman who had slept with him four years ago had seemingly vanished fro the earth, leaving no trace of her whereabouts.
Sean controlled the nation’s largest conglomerate and had an elite team under his command. He had utilized all his connections to search for Claire, yet nobody could find her.
Despite the aid of cutting-edge technology, they couldn’t catch a glimpse of a single strand of Claire’s hair.
This drove Mrs. Vanderbilt to desperation. Over the past four years, she had made countless phone calls, but Sean remained resolute in his decision not to return to Ascalon.
“Sean …” Mrs. Vanderbilt couldn’t let it rest and continued pleading on the phone, “Your nephew has found a girlfriend this year. You’re already thirty-two. If you don’t marry soon, people will call you an old bachelor.””
Sean, walking through the airport while talking on the phone, said, “Everyone addresses me as Mr. Sean of the Vanderbilts. Who would dare to undermine m reputation?”
reputation?”
Mrs. Vanderbilt was directly choked by his words and coughed a few times.
Among her five children, Sean was the one who caused her the most worry.
Sean was her precious child, and she had spoiled him rotten since he was little. However, this indulgence had led to him developing a stubborn and
unruly temperament. He was like a wild horse that had never been tethered, running free without constraint. Now that she wanted to control him, it proved impossible.
After her coughing fit, Mrs. Vanderbilt wiped her eyes with a handkerchief and sobbed, “I haven’t been feeling well lately. My heart keeps hurting. I just wanted you to come back and start a family before I pass away. Can’t you fulfill such a simple request? Sob, sob, sob…”
Sean was accustomed to this ploy of Mrs. Vanderbilt’s and didn’t find it strange at all. He had seen her use it on his father countless times.
His father fell for it every time, but he didn’t.
It wasn’t that Sean didn’t fall for it, but rather that he had become numb to
1.
“Alright, Mom, please don’t cry anymore. If your heart isn’t well, see a doctor. I have to go through a security check now.”
“Ah, wait a moment!”
Mrs. Vanderbilt knew Sean was about to end the call, so she quickly said, “Brighton is not far from Ascalon. Why don’t you come home after you’re done in Brighton? I miss you.”
Brighton was more than 1,300 kilometers away from Ascalon. And this wasn’t considered far?
Sean slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out an exquisite cigarette case. “Alright, if I have time, I’ll come back to visit you.”
Just as he was about to hang up, suddenly, someone lightly tapped him on the back.
Sean frowned and turned around.
The girl behind him was dressed in youthful clothing, with a plaid skirt that showed off her fair thigh. She also wore white knee-high socks and black Teather shoes.
Her face was lovely, with light makeup that enhanced her natural beauty. It was hard to tell her age, but her clothes made her look like a teenager.
Pointing to something on the ground, she tilted her head and smiled at Sean. “Sir, you dropped something.”
Sean was in a daze until her voice snapped him out of it. He glanced down at the business card on the ground and removed the phone from his ear. “What did you call me?” he asked. Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.
The girl smiled and shrugged, her eyes glancing at the cigarette case in his
right hand. “Just a friendly reminder, Sir, smoking is not allowed in the airport,” she said.
“Claire, the driver has been waiting at the gate for a long time. Don’t dawdle and hurry up!”
Hearing her companion’s call, the girl waved her hand at Sean and happily ran
Watching her youthful and lively figure, Sean’s thin lips curled into a sly arc. “Claire, I’ve been waiting for you.”
The driver outside the airport checked his wristwatch for the umpteenth time. He had been waiting for the screenwriter C. S. Lawrence for a long time, and he was starting to get impatient. He had already texted Lawrence’s assistant, who said they would be out shortly after picking up their luggage. But so far, there was no sign of them.
Stretching his neck, he kept glancing around the airport.
“Hey, what are you looking at?”
He was lightly touched on the shoulder. Looking down, he saw two girls who appeared to be in high school. Feeling somewhat annoyed, he said, “If you’re looking to be extras, head over to the film set. I don’t handle that here.”
One of the girls giggled lightly. “Hey, Claire, did you see that? They think you’re only fit to be an extra.”
Claire rolled her eyes at her assistant. This little assistant always enjoyed joking around with people, and she liked to tease anyone, regardless of who it was.
Taking out a lollipop, peeling off the wrapper, and popping it into her
mouth, Claire turned to the driver. “It was Mr. Smith who sent you to pick up C. S. Lawrence, right?”
The driver was dumbfounded.
1. S. Lawrence was a renowned and accomplished author of romantic novels, having achieved fame several years ago. The driver looked at Claire and then at the girl next to her. He couldn’t tell their ages for sure, but they both
Not wanting to waste any more time, Claire said, “I am C. S. Lawrence. I wrote ‘The Twenty-Fifth Hour.””
“C. S. … C. S. Lawrence?” The driver was tongue-tied, his eyes widening like saucers.
It was surprising that C. S. Lawrence, who was so skilled at writing
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ambiguous scenes that readers would yearn to be in a romantic relationship, was actually so young.
Julia couldn’t help but burst into laughter at the driver’s expression. “Hahaha. Don’t be fooled by her appearance. She just likes acting cute. In reality, she’s already …”
Claire elbowed her, and Julia held back the rest of her words.
Only then did the driver come to his senses, excitedly opening the car door and welcoming the two girls inside.
“Ms. Lawrence.” While driving, the driver eagerly asked, “Can I take a photo with you later?”
Seeing Claire’s raised eyebrow in the rearview mirror, he quickly explained, “You see, my girlfriend is a huge fan of your novels. The reason she fell in love with me is because she thinks I’m just like Max Taylor from your novels. Even though he’s a supporting character, he’s a romantic type. Hehe …”
Max Taylor?
Julia blinked suddenly. Max was at best a minor character in “The
Twenty-Fifth Hour.” Julia hadn’t expected this young girl to be so infatuated with Claire that she would even make a move on a man who resembled Max, a character barely mentioned.
“Cough, cough…” Julia feigned a smile and said to Claire, “Claire, she’s definitely in love with you for real!”
Claire chuckled while biting her lollipop. “Alright, let’s take a picture then.”
The driver could not contain his joy as he raced the business car on the street.
Half an hour later, the driver dropped Claire and Julia off at the hotel arranged by the production crew, handing them two room keys.
“Ms. Lawrence, you should rest for now. I’ll go report to Mr. Smith.”
Claire took a room key, said nothing, opened the door, and walked in, promptly sprawling on the spacious bed.
Silverton, I’m back!
Thinking back to how she had left in such a sorry state several years ago, a cold light gleamed in her deen brown eves
Although she knew that her father did not love her and that the Donovans did not consider her a true member, Robert was still her only family. Claire had always dreamed that if she worked hard, excelled in her studies, and showed her strengths and merits to him, her father would eventually love her.
When she woke up in the presidential suite that night, all of her dreams were
crushed.
People who didn’t love her would never truly love her, no matter how hard she tried. She was nothing more than a tool for exchanging benefits.
Julia didn’t return to her own room. After freshening up in Claire’s room, she rushed back out. Seeing Claire lost in thought on the bed, Julia jumped onto the bed. “Claire!”
Claire turned her face away, concealing the tears that had welled in her
eyes.
Julia had noticed Claire’s sadness but pretended not to have seen it. She bit her lip and lay beside Claire, asking, “Hey, now that we’ve safely arrived in Silverton, what’s your plan? Are you leaving as soon as this job is done?”
Leaving?
“Heh!” Claire’s lips curled coldly. “Since I’ve come back, how could I not return home and give my dear father a big surprise?”
Julia felt a chill ran down her spine when she heard Claire’s cold voice.
Although only 23 years old, Claire had started acting cute due to particular circumstances. She claimed that she would always maintain a youthful heart. However, beneath Claire’s pure and beautiful appearance lay a heart that had long been scarred.
Claire had never been a simple and innocent girl!
This topic was getting too dangerous, and Julia licked her lips before changing the subject. “Then … what about that man?”
Claire turned to look at her. “Which man?”
Julia chuckled mischievously, turning to face Claire with an ambiguous expression. “You know, the man who slept with you that night!”