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Back at the penthouse. Oliver awoke to an empty bed and panic crept into him. 'Where is she?' He asked himself. His heart pounding violently against his ribcage. For a moment, he felt like he was back to six years ago when he used to have nightmares of Claire leaving him over and over again. 'No! I can't lose her again! I can't let her go!' His stomach churned at the thought. He grabbed his phone to call Thomas to look for Claire but then, he found her text messages when he unlocked his phone. His heart slowly calmed down as he read the text, relieved to know she hadn't left him like six years ago. He let out a sigh of relief, thinking he wouldn't have survived if she left him again... this time, his heart would completely get destroyed. This was why he was so afraid of losing her. A smile crossed his lips as the images of the previous night flashed through his mind's eye. He couldn't believe he was finally able to claim Claire as his woman... she was his and he was hers.
Claire had a hard time after her shocking discovery. Even then, she didn't rush to her mother to question her if she knew her father was guilty. She was done being told lies. From now on, she would find out the truth by herself. After the sense of relief that washed over her for a few minutes, she was suddenly hit by a tornado of guilt. All this time she had been fighting a losing battle. She had lied and pretended to be nice to the people who had been the kindest to her. What would Oliver’s parents do if they found out why she had returned and joined the company? Would they still look at her with warmth and love? She also thought about her relationship with Oliver. She recalled how much he loved their daughter and how protective he was of her. These facts made her think there was more to the story than what she thought. Perhaps Oliver had a good reason to let Jessica go. She wanted to give their relationship a chance but she couldn't go ahead without knowing why he let
"Can we meet for a cup of coffee?" Claire asked Roxanne, Oliver's mother, on the phone. "There's something I would like to ask you." "Of course, dear. You can ask me anything... I'll give you all the answers," Roxanne replied gently. "I'm coming to the company since my husband is working from there today... we can have coffee in the company cafeteria." Claire's heart thumped with guilt. The Fords had always been kind to her, and yet she had been plotting revenge against them over something they didn't do. Deep down, she wondered if Roxanne would still be kind to her if she found out... "Thank you, Aunty. See you soon." When she cut the call, Claire received another call. However, she let it ring without answering when she saw who was calling. She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. Wesley had been calling nonstop and he had also left her several messages but Claire couldn't bring herself to respond. She felt guilty... after stringing him along, she still went back to Oliv
The weekend soon came. Oliver had to leave for an emergency business meeting but since no contracts or deals would be made, he didn’t need his legal director to go with him. Thus, Claire remained behind. Things between Oliver and Claire had improved in the last few days. They would have lunch together or just have long phone calls in the night after they both went to their respective homes. Since the relationship was getting better, Claire called Wesley to have an inevitable chat with him. “So, why did you suddenly call me when you’ve been avoiding me the whole week?” Wesley asked playfully. “Something tells me I won’t like what you’re about to say.” Claire sighed, guilt creeping into her. She glanced at Wesley and his warm smile made her feel more uncomfortable. He was a decent man. Handsome and successful. However, she couldn’t bring herself to fall for him during the time that they had known each other. How could he creep into her heart when it already had an occupant?
“Claire… let’s wait to hear from them-” “No! I need to go to him…, I need to…” Claire stood from the couch and took a few steps towards the door before dropping to the floor, her knees feeling weak. Big fat tears streamed down her cheeks as she said, “I need to see him.” Her heart squeezed painfully, the images of the car wreck flashing through her mind. The car was crushed beyond recognition. No one could survive that. Moreover, two people were feared dead, Claire didn't know if Oliver was among those two and her heart was squeezing with worry. Quinn had switched off the TV to prevent Thalia from seeing what was on the news but the bad news was already imprinted in Claire’s mind. The accident scene kept replaying in her mind like a broken record. Guilt ate at her heart and made her stomach churn. ‘I should have treated him better…’ she thought painfully. “Mommy, are you crying? What’s wrong?” Thalia asked. Worry filled her eyes as she approached Claire and cupped her face w
Claire turned her head and fell on her ass when she saw the tall figure standing behind her. “O-Oliver?” She asked with uncertainty. What was going on? The man she thought was dead was standing before her, looking as healthy as a horse save for the few bruises on his handsome face and the cast and sling that plastered his broken right arm to his chest. 'Is he a ghost?' She mused, blood draining from her face. “It’s me, Angel… did you think I was that corpse?” Oliver’s deep voice reached Claire’s ears and convinced her that she wasn’t seeing things. Oliver was alive! She wasn't in some crazy dream where she imagined his presence and he wasn't the corpse that she had been crying over a few minutes ago. Her heart jumped and she stood up, rushing toward Oliver before wrapping her arms around his neck while he wrapped his left arm around her waist. “Thank God! I thought I lost you,” Claire cried despite a sense of relief washing over her. Her heart squeezed at the pain that h
“Um… why are you not in your ward?” Claire asked, dodging the question smoothly but her eyes were full of concern for him. “You’re supposed to be resting after that horrible accident.” Oliver smiled in amusement but he didn’t continue to tease her. He suddenly frowned and said, “I have to go there now… my arm hurts.” “Really? You said it wasn’t that bad,” Zara Ford’s voice suddenly echoed around them and Oliver glared at his sister. “I’M. IN. PAIN,” Oliver stated firmly and the Ford family who had been watching them took the hint. Roxanne nodded and remarked, “We will handle things here, son. Go back to your ward.” She then asked Claire, “Would you please take care of him for me, Claire dear?” Claire nodded and went to the VIP ward with Oliver. Her heart ached when she saw the frown on his face, thinking he was in too much pain. “Lie down and don’t move around until you feel better,” she instructed, helping him get on the bed in the ward. Oliver hid a smile, loving the way
"This is your Uncle Liam and Uncle Jake," Oliver introduced his friends to his daughter. Glancing at his friends, he stated with pride laced in his voice, "Meet my daughter, guys. I'm a father now." "Hi Uncle Liam, hi Uncle Jake. It's nice to meet you," Thalia replied, smiling sweetly as she looked at the two tall men. "So adorable," Jake said while smiling down at the child. "Adorable indeed. She looks just like Claire," Liam observed. They had come to visit Oliver at the hospital after hearing the news about his accident. As for Thalia, she was brought over by Quinn after throwing a tantrum when she accidentally watched the news after changing the channel when Quinn was in the kitchen. "Congratulations, Man. I always knew you would be the first to have a child," Jake remarked. "Yeah... I had changed my mind six years ago and thought Jake would be the first to become a father but who knew you and Claire were already parents when you broke up?" Liam added and Oliver smirked.