Don’t Fall for the Billionaire Lover

Diana sat stiffly, sticking close to Connor and positioning herself as far from Claire as possible. Her heart raced with anxiety, but having Uncle Connor nearby made her feel a tad safer.

Meanwhile, Chloe found herself next to Claire. Her face was a mask of calm, but her eyes showed a flicker of caution. She felt like she was walking into a trap.

Chloe had her worries too, but she knew she had to brace herself and adapt to whatever happened next. The seat beside Claire stayed empty for a bit until Ruben showed up. He immediately started showering Claire with compliments. Once Ruben took his seat, there were still two people missing: Barrett and Pax.

Claire asked casually, "Ruben, where's Barrett?"

Ruben hadn't expected that question. Given the pre-arranged guest list, it was possible Barrett and Claire knew each other. Ruben shot a glance at Connor, who was expressionless, pouring himself some water, and decided to lie, "Barrett wasn't feeling well and left early. We sent him home to rest yesterday."

Claire replied, "Oh? Is that so?" in a tone that betrayed nothing.

Chloe's heart skipped a beat. She knew Barrett was Claire's secret lover. Was Claire here because Barrett had gone missing? Chloe had no idea where Barrett was or how Connor planned to handle him. All she could do was watch the siblings battle it out.

Connor then chimed in, "Claire, since when do you care about some minor celebrity?"

Claire shrugged it off, "He's a protégé of an old friend. Just curious."

No one else seemed to give it much thought. Faith could hardly wait to start eating. But Claire hadn't given the go-akead yet. If Claire didn't pick up her fork, no one else dared to either Impatient, Faith asked, "Where's Pax? Why isn't he here yet?"

Chloe answered, "Pax fell off his horse and ripped his clothes. He's changing."

Just then, Pax strolled into the dining room, totally relaxed, and pulled out the chair next to Claire, casually asking, "Why haven't you started eating?"

Kalilah watched with a mix of

amusement and curiosity. She had wanted to sit next to Claire but was stopped by the butler, who informed her that Claire didn't like anyone sitting beside her. Yet, Chloe had been seated on Claire's left, leaving the right side open until Pax boldly took the seat.

Kalilah waited for the butler to kick Pax out but instead, Claire announced, "Now that everyone's here, let's eat."

Feeling frustrated, Kalilah forced a smile, "Pax, you must be important. The director waited for you before starting the meal."

She intended to embarrass Pax,

implying he was receiving special treatment from Claire. She was waiting for Pax to be put in his place, a payback for making her eat snake sashimi. But then Claire did something astonishing. She picked up the first piece of beef with her

own fork and placed it in Pax's plate.

"You've lost weight. Haven't you been eating well?" she asked, her voice full of concern.

Everyone at the table was left utterly stunned.Text content © NôvelDrama.Org.