Chapter 577

The morning in Marigoldia was like a sapphire kissed by the divine, with the sea shimmering under the early light.

Claire stood on the deck of their overwater bungalow, taking a deep breath of the salty air, feeling the pure sea breeze wash away some of the heaviness in her chest.

"Claire, you ready?" Joseph wrapped his arms around her from behind, resting his chin gently on her shoulder.

Claire could smell the faint scent of his sunscreen mixed with the freshness of his aftershave.

She nodded and turned to look at Joseph.

He was wearing a deep blue T-shirt today, which made his skin look even healthier, and his eyes were filled with tenderness for her.

Claire couldn't help but reach out to smooth the slightly messy hair on his forehead. "Your hair's getting long again."

Joseph caught her hand and kissed her palm lightly. "I'll cut it when we get back. Come on, if we don't go snorkeling now, all the good fish will be gone."

Hand in hand, they walked along the wooden boardwalk towards the main island, the planks creaking softly under their feet.

Claire felt the warm touch of the wood beneath her bare feet.

In the distance, a few seagulls skimmed over the water, letting out crisp calls.

"Claire! Joseph!" Suddenly, a young voice called out from ahead.

Claire looked up to see two children in matching yellow duck swimsuits running towards them, with Zoey and Henry following behind, looking exasperated.

"Be careful, don't run so fast!" Zoey called out. She was wearing a white lace cover-up over a lemon-yellow bikini, glowing in the sunlight.

Gabriel and Travis reached Claire, their almost identical faces beaming with excitement.

Claire knelt to their level, feeling the gloom in her heart lift significantly.

"Good morning, little adventurers." Claire smiled, ruffling Gabriel and Travis's wet hair. They had clearly already been playing in the water. "Did you have breakfast?"

"Yep!" Gabriel answered eagerly. "I had eggs and sausage!"

"Me too! And fruit and milk!" Travis added, not wanting to be outdone, gesturing with his hands. "This much milk!"

Claire laughed at their innocence, ruffling their hair again. "Great, you need a full stomach to swim, right?"

"Right!" Gabriel and Travis chorused, then turned to Joseph. "Joseph, can you take us snorkeling? Dad said we might see clownfish today!"

Henry walked over then, tall and dressed simply in a white tank top and beach shorts, yet still exuding the aura of a business elite.

He nodded at Claire, then spoke to Joseph. "Gabriel and Travis have been begging to find clownfish since they woke up. My ears are about to fall off."

Joseph laughed, kneeling to meet Gabriel and Travis's eyes. "Clownfish aren't easy to find. You have to be very, very quiet. Can you do that?"

Gabriel and Travis immediately covered their mouths and nodded vigorously, eyes full of anticipation.

"Let's go then," Joseph said, standing up and winking at Claire. "I'll take them to the shallow water."

Henry patted Zoey's shoulder. "You and Claire have a chat. I'll take the kids."

With that, he followed Joseph and the two excited kids towards the beach.

Zoey watched them go, a smile playing on her lips.

She turned to Claire. "Wanna find a spot to sit?"

They picked a place under a beach umbrella.

A waiter soon brought over two chilled coconut drinks, each with a colorful paper umbrella.

Claire took a sip, the sweet coconut juice sliding down her throat, bringing a refreshing coolness.

"So, how'd dinner with your dad go last night?" Zoey hesitated but asked anyway.

As Claire's best friend, Zoey knew how much this meeting meant to Claire.

Claire's fingers traced the condensation on her glass, her gaze drifting to the horizon where the sea met the sky.

Joseph and Henry were playing with Gabriel and Travis in the shallow water, their laughter carried by the wind.

"He didn't come to reunite," Claire said softly, with a hint of bitterness. "He knows I'm close with you guys and wants to use me to get in with the Windsor Group."

Zoey frowned. "He actually said that?"

"Pretty much."

Claire let out a bitter laugh. "He said his company isn't doing well and that a partnership with the Windsor Group could turn things around. He even said, 'I won't let my daughter suffer.'"

She mimicked Finnegan's tone, a flash of pain in her eyes.

Zoey squeezed Claire's trembling hand. "You turned him down, right?"

"Of course." Claire looked up, her eyes clear. "I told him I wouldn't use my friends to cover his business failures. He doesn't care about me, just sees me as a tool."

The sea breeze brought a salty tang.

In the distance, Travis seemed to have found something, shouting excitedly. Joseph lifted him for a better view.

The warmth of that scene contrasted sharply with Claire's words about her father.

"You know," Zoey chose her words carefully, "if Finnegan really cared about you, Henry and I would be happy to help. But after all these years..."

"Just two wire transfers, nothing more."

Claire finished Zoey's sentence, her voice eerily calm. "When I was struggling abroad, I didn't get a single call from him. Now that his company is in trouble, he suddenly remembers he has a daughter."

Zoey sighed.

"You did the right thing," Zoey finally said. "Real family shouldn't come with conditions or be a transaction."

Her gaze at Claire was filled with unspoken sympathy. Over the years, she and Claire had become like family, despite having no blood relation, and faced many challenges together.

To Zoey, Claire was as much family as anyone, a sister in all but blood.

Seeing Zoey's concerned look, Claire felt a warmth in her heart.

She smiled. "Don't worry about me, Zoe. I'm not that hurt. I've seen through my dad a long time ago. If he hadn't shown up in Marigoldia, I might have forgotten he even existed."

Zoey, seeing Claire's genuine smile, felt a bit more at ease.

"If your dad knew how well off you are, he'd realize helping him would be easy for you. But he doesn't appreciate you," Zoey said.