Chapter 23 Chapter 23
Across the hallway, the bathroom door opened.
Claire Ford came out, fixing her hair, and then stopped abruptly.
Right in front of her, she saw Caroline and a tall man in a dark suit walking together.
His arm was around her waist.
The protective way. The imposing posture.
For a second, Claire thought she was dreaming.
That man...
He wasn't a fat, decrepit old man, as she had imagined.
He was tall. Strong. He wore impeccably tailored clothes.
And the way he looked at Caroline—even from behind—made Claire's blood run cold.
Her heart raced, and her hands began to shake.
This is impossible...
But it was real.
She stood there, paralyzed, watching the couple disappear around the corner.
She only came back to reality when she heard a voice behind her:
“Claire? Are you okay?”
She blinked, still dazed, her gaze fixed on the empty hallway.
The world suddenly seemed to have turned upside down.
Claire blinked several times, trying to compose herself.
The shock still throbbed in her mind—the image of Caroline in the arms of that tall man would not leave her eyes.
She took a deep breath, forced a smile, and turned to Edward Collins, who had just left the hall. “Edward...” she called, her voice soft, almost tremulous. “I saw... my sister.”
“Caroline?” Edward's expression changed instantly.
He straightened up, surprised. “You mean Caroline is here too?”
Claire nodded slowly, watching his every reaction. Edward's face hardened. He knew very well what it meant to be dining there.
That restaurant was for the wealthiest people in the city—the minimum cost of a meal exceeded most people's monthly salary.
And Caroline... Caroline was unemployed, struggling.
There was no other explanation.
Someone had taken her there.
Edward's gaze darkened, and Claire noticed.
A flash of wicked satisfaction passed through his eyes before he disguised it with a concerned expression.
“Um...” he began, his voice sad. “I saw her with a man.” He paused dramatically. “They seemed... very intimate.”
Edward looked at her suddenly, his jaw tense. “What?”
Claire bit her lip and looked away, feigning reluctance.
“Edward, your sister broke up with you so recently...” she sighed. “And she's already found another man?”
The insinuation was clear, and she knew exactly where it would land.
As expected, Edward's face closed, dark. His fists clenched tightly.
“Are you sure about what you saw?” he asked, his voice low.
“Absolutely,” Claire replied without hesitation. “I ran into his sister in the bathroom. I said hello, but she was cold... she said she hated me. That she would never forgive me.” She paused and pretended to be shaken. “She even threatened me.”
“Threatened you?” Edward frowned. “With what?”
Claire sighed deeply, her eyes downcast, feigning delicate pain.
“I just wanted to help her,” she said, her voice trembling. “I thought about finding her a job, lightening her load a little. But she refused.” She said I should stay out of her business...“ She bit her lip again, as if holding back tears. ”She also said that I love picking through trash. That I picked up the man she threw away.
“What?!” Edward stiffened, his face contorted with anger. “She really said that?”
Claire looked up slowly, feigning vulnerability. “Edward, why would I lie to you?” she asked, with wounded sweetness. “The way she spoke, it seems she had been planning to break up with you for a long time.”
She touched his arm, her voice taking on an even more delicate tone:
“Edward... what if your sister has met someone powerful?” “Someone... influential.” Her eyes sparkled. “What if she's using that man's power to get revenge on us? Because she believes we betrayed her?”
Her words fell like poison.
Edward was silent, but jealousy and anger were already burning in his chest.
His face darkened, his eyes clouded over.
Without even realizing it, his male pride was being eroded.
Caroline may have broken off their engagement—but deep down, he still considered her his woman.
And now... imagining another man by her side made him lose control.
He took a deep breath, his fists clenched, his gaze fixed on the floor.
“Claire, can you describe the man who was with her?” he asked, his voice tense. “I want to know who he is.”
Claire blinked, remembering the tall, imposing figure she had seen—and felt her stomach churn.
Even with his back turned, that man exuded authority and charm.
But she would never admit that.
She squeezed Edward's arm and lied, with studied naturalness:
“I didn't see his face.” She smiled slightly, bitterly. “But... from behind, he looked like an older man.”
She paused, as if calculating the final blow.
“He was dressed extravagantly, full of pomp. The type who flaunts his money to compensate for his age.” A... rich old man, probably.
Edward's expression hardened.
His jaw clenched.
His eyes became two blades.
Jealousy turned into something darker: contempt.
And for Claire, that was the perfect result.
“She'd rather stay with an old man than come to me for help?” Edward Collins' voice sounded hoarse, laden with disbelief. “Does she hate me that much?”
Claire sighed, her expression one of deep regret.
“Edward, you know my sister,” she said softly, as if each word were a consolation. "She's always been too proud. It's practically impossible to get her to ask anyone for help. Besides...“ She looked at him with sad eyes. ”She hates us. Even if I wanted to help her, she would never accept it.
Edward ran his hand through his hair in exasperation.
“So what can we do?”
Claire sighed again, as if pondering something difficult, and moved closer, wrapping her arm gently around him. “Edward...” she said in a low voice, “I remember there's a high-ranking employee at Collins Firm who's still single. Why don't we introduce him to my sister?”
Edward frowned.
“Are you talking about Director Dennis?”
“Yes,” she replied with a controlled smile.
Edward shook his head in disbelief.
“Claire, Dennis is over forty. He's twenty years older than Caroline.”
“I know,” she replied softly, “but older men tend to be more attentive.” She pretended to be concerned about Caroline. “If he's experienced, he can take care of her and make her feel secure.”
Besides, Director Dennis is someone from your company. At least we'd know she's with someone trustworthy.
Claire paused, and the cynical gleam in her eyes went unnoticed by Edward.
“And anyway, he makes millions a year. She'd have a comfortable life. Better that than staying with that man who is clearly using her.”