Qiana frowned and said, "I know what you're thinking. You just want to make some extra cash. But you need to understand, some things can't be bought. That gemstone necklace means a lot to the Gonzalez family and to Dennis. I don't want it ending up somewhere it doesn't belong."
"Dennis already gave the company back to your dad, but he won't leave you alone. I know what he wants—he wants to be with you," Qiana said, clearly annoyed.
Since Dennis wouldn't back off, she had to handle it herself.
"I hope you can leave Zhenlin," Qiana continued. "Find someone to pretend to be your fiancé and tell Dennis you're getting engaged. Make him give up. I'll cover any losses."
Claire bit her lower lip, feeling torn.
She knew Qiana was right. There was no future for her and Dennis.
But the thought of leaving Dennis was hard to bear.
"I... I agree," Claire said hesitantly after a moment.
Leaving the hotel, Claire felt a heavy weight on her heart.
When she turned her phone back on, she saw several missed calls—all from Dennis.
Just then, Dennis called again. Seeing his name on the screen and feeling the phone vibrate, she felt torn.
She knew she should follow Qiana's instructions, but she couldn't let go of her feelings for Dennis.
After a moment of struggle, Claire called her best friend. "Hey, it's Claire. Do you have a minute? I need a favor..."
A cheerful laugh came from the other end. "Claire! This is the first time you've asked me for help. What's up?"
"I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend," Claire said, taking a deep breath. "Help me put on a show for someone."
"Is that someone your boyfriend?" her friend asked.
Claire's heart ached, and she didn't want to explain. "Can you just help me without asking questions?"
"Sure, when do we start?" her friend agreed without hesitation.
"Right now," Claire said, hanging up and standing.
Meanwhile, Dennis kept calling and texting, trying to reach Claire.
Claire decided to start ignoring Dennis from that moment on.
Their relationship was just a fleeting attraction. He might just want to have fun, but she couldn't afford to play along.
Qiana had warned her to stay away from Dennis, and she wasn't going to be foolish.
On the other side, Dennis brought the Murphy Group executives to the Murphy Villa.
He stood before Beck and bowed deeply. "Mr. Murphy, I'm sorry for my past mistakes. I'm here today to return the company to you."
Beck was both surprised and angry at Dennis's sudden gesture.
He eyed Dennis suspiciously. "Why are you doing this? What's your motive?"
Dennis met Beck's gaze calmly. "Mr. Murphy, Claire and I are just friends. I'm doing this because I realized my mistake and don't want to continue down the wrong path. Please believe me, I mean no harm."
He signaled his bodyguard to bring out the documents.
The Murphy Group executives stepped forward, urging Beck to accept the return.
Beck took the documents, still skeptical, and began to read them carefully.
Taking advantage of the moment, Dennis continued talking to Beck.
He explained his family's situation abroad and mentioned his grandfather's upcoming burial in their homeland.
Dennis assured Beck he wasn't a bad person, just someone who had made mistakes.
Beck's wariness began to ease.
He remembered Claire mentioning Dennis and how he had lost something important. Maybe Claire had been right.
Thinking of Claire, Beck suddenly asked, "Claire mentioned you lost a family heirloom. Is that true?"
Dennis was taken aback but nodded. "Yeah, it's true."
Beck was shocked and didn't know what to say.
He hadn't expected Dennis to be so generous, considering the heirloom's immense value.
Dennis smiled. "Mr. Murphy, don't get me wrong. Claire and I are friends, and I'll keep looking for the heirloom."
Beck finally let go of his suspicions.
He took the documents from Dennis. Seeing "All shares return to the Murphy Group" written on them, he couldn't help but smile.
"Good! Good! Good!" Beck said happily.
"Mr. Gonzalez, I've met many people in my life. For someone so young, you have great potential," he said, looking at the Murphy Group elders, who nodded in agreement.
The atmosphere became relaxed and pleasant.
Dennis smiled humbly. "You're too kind, Mr. Murphy."
After signing the documents, Beck personally escorted Dennis out of the Murphy Villa.
Claire was about to take a cab home when she got a call from Beck. Learning that her family's company had been returned, she was speechless with shock.
She felt deeply grateful to Dennis.
On the call, she clarified her relationship with Dennis to Beck, saying they were just friends.
After hanging up, Claire let out a long sigh.
She decided to invite Dennis to dinner to thank him for returning the company.
She also wanted to use the opportunity to make it clear that they had no future together.
So, she picked up her phone and texted Dennis: "Are you free tonight? Let's have dinner."
She quickly received a reply: "Sure. See you tonight."
Seeing his message, Claire's heart raced.
She took a deep breath to calm herself.
She took a cab to the Thomas Group. As she walked into the lobby, she saw Dennis approaching.
Their eyes met, and the atmosphere was awkward.
"...What are you doing here?" Claire broke the silence with an awkward smile.
Dennis looked at her and teased, "I had some business with Mr. Thomas. What about you? Seems like we have a connection."
Claire glared at him playfully. "Don't talk nonsense. There's no connection."
She turned to leave, but Dennis grabbed her wrist and smiled. "Come with me!"
Claire struggled but couldn't break free, so she let Dennis lead her out of the Thomas Group.
Feeling the warmth of his hand, her heart raced, and her cheeks flushed.
She glanced at Dennis, and when she saw him looking at her, she quickly looked away and lowered her head.
They arrived at a restaurant and sat by the window.
After ordering a few dishes, Claire looked at Dennis seriously. "Dennis, thank you for returning the company."
Dennis smiled and asked, "Is that all you have to say?"
Claire bit her lip, thinking of how to properly thank him.
"Don't bite your lip," Dennis said, his eyes on her lips, his voice deep and magnetic.
Claire was startled and let go of her lip. "I... it's just a habit."
"It's a bad habit. To men, it's a signal," Dennis said seriously.