Chapter 160: Official Boyfriend

Chapter 160: Official Boyfriend

When they reached the mountaintop, Vincent had already sent Saskia ahead to set everything up.

Vincent lifted Claire out of the car. "Do you like it?"

Claire stood on the ground, feeling the night breeze, glancing around.

They were on a grassy clearing at the summit, strung with fairy lights and dotted with a tent. In the darkness, this little corner of the world felt especially romantic and dreamlike.

The night sky hung overhead like a ceiling, stars twinkling so close she felt she could reach out and touch them.

Looking down, she saw the entire cityscape of Crystalbrook, neon lights flickering below.

In that moment, Claire felt different—like she wasn't small anymore, like she could stretch out her arms and embrace the whole world.

She extended both arms, closed her eyes, tilted her head back slightly, and savored the cool evening breeze.

"Do you like it?" Vincent wrapped his arms around her from behind, his head near her ear as he asked again softly.

Her body sank into his broad chest, and Claire trembled slightly.

Vincent was getting more and more comfortable with these intimate gestures.

She still wasn't quite used to it.

But she didn't pull away. Instead, she leaned back into him. "I love it."

Feeling Claire lean closer, Vincent's heart surged. His arms tightened around her, and he nuzzled against the curve of her neck.

"Baby, three months isn't even up yet, but I can't wait anymore." Vincent's voice was low and tender. "Can you give me the title sooner?"

"I want to officially be your boyfriend."

Vincent's breath swirled around her ear, sending tingles through Claire's entire shoulder.

She didn't answer right away.

Nestled in Vincent's embrace, she closed her eyes.

His body heat warmed her back, comfortable and soothing—like a safe harbor.

She liked this feeling.

"If a man who wasn't my boyfriend held me like this, I'd kick him across the lawn." Claire's voice was quiet, but loud enough for Vincent to hear clearly.

He froze for a moment, then his dark eyes lit up with a brilliant gleam, his lips slowly curving into a gorgeous smile.

Suddenly Claire felt weightless and let out a startled shriek.

Vincent had swept her up and was spinning her around in circles.

"Baby, thank you." Vincent seemed tireless, spinning her around again and again.

He didn't stop until Claire was dizzy.

Her toes touched the ground, and she was still catching her breath when Vincent's head suddenly dipped down, capturing her lips fiercely.

Vincent was like a wolf starved for too long, sweeping through Claire's mouth like a summer storm—fierce and sudden.

Maybe it was the mountain breeze that was so intoxicating, but feeling Vincent's breath, Claire felt drunk.

She slowly closed her eyes, wrapped her arms around his waist, parted her lips slightly, and tentatively extended her tongue.

He seemed to have been waiting forever, instantly entwining with hers. Claire quickly lost all capacity for thought, caught up in his embrace, her body going soft.

She didn't even know when they'd moved into the tent until Vincent released her, and her consciousness seemed to snap back from somewhere far away.

But her mind was still hazy, and without thinking, she asked, "What's wrong?"

Lying on the soft mat inside the tent, Vincent pressed over her, his eyes thick with undeniable desire. "Do you want to make love?"

Did she want to?

Honestly, her body was tingling with anticipation.

Claire stared blankly at Vincent above her. "Don't you?"

"But you're too young." Vincent's voice was impossibly hoarse as he rolled to her side.

The next moment, he scooped her into his arms and carried her out of the tent. "Come on, let's go look at the stars."

Claire and Vincent lay cuddled together on the grass, watching the stars until late into the night.

Meanwhile, at The Montague Manor, Daphne also stayed awake until the early hours.

Claire's evidence-backed counterattack against Rowan had thrown all her plans into chaos.

And terrified her.

Claire had all that evidence in her hands. She'd been viciously attacked online, yet she hadn't moved an inch.

Not until Brooke accepted that live interview did she release the proof.

From beginning to end, Claire hadn't said a single bad word about the Blackwell family, yet the Blackwell family's ugly nature had been exposed completely and utterly.

She hadn't defended herself once, but everyone was apologizing to her voluntarily.

The image of a vicious homewrecker had instantly transformed into a victim bullied by her entire adoptive family.

Everyone was sympathizing with her.

If all of this had been Claire's plan, it was absolutely terrifying.

Some people were even starting to suspect that the person dating Vincent had been Claire all along.

Daphne felt restless and anxious.

Like everything had spiraled out of control.

Her original plan—to wait until the Montague family went after Claire, then guide public opinion to accuse Claire of using her identity to steal her fiancé—was now a useless chess piece.

She paced frantically around her room, trying to figure out a countermeasure.

In the end, she couldn't come up with a good solution and had to compromise.

Stay still for now. Wait for the right moment.

To prevent her little schemes from being exposed, she summoned Selene.

First, she warned coldly, "You should know my mother's personality. She absolutely cannot tolerate betrayal. If she finds out about certain things, I'll be in trouble—and you and your mother will be thrown out of the Montague family just the same."

Selene quickly promised, "Ms. Montague, don't worry. I'll never tell anyone."

"I think of you as family. I only used you because I knew you were reliable." Daphne softened her tone and transferred $100,000 to Selene.

……

The Blackwell Mansion.

When Henry learned from his business partners that the shares they'd sold were now held by Nathaniel, he immediately called Nathaniel to confirm.

After getting a definitive answer, he couldn't catch his breath and passed out on the spot.

Brooke rushed him to the hospital in a panic, while the investors left cursing under their breaths.

Henry had fainted from elevated blood pressure triggered by emotional distress. His heart had some minor issues, but nothing serious. The doctor recommended observation for two days, but he insisted on being discharged the next morning.

Though only one night had passed, he looked like he'd aged ten years.

He collapsed on the sofa, eyes vacant, muttering, "It's over. The Blackwell family is finished."

"Honey, what exactly happened?" Brooke hadn't been there when Henry collapsed, so she didn't know the details.

"Vincent tricked me. He gave the shares he bought from me to Nathaniel, and now those guys want to terminate our partnership."

"I already invested everything we have into this project. Without more money, my investment will be a total loss."

Brooke staggered backward, taking several moments before finding her voice. "Honey, you need to figure something out!"

Henry said weakly, "What can I do? You and Rowan seriously offended Claire. Who's going to invest in me now?"

Brooke sank onto the sofa as if all her strength had drained away, her eyes blank.

"What are we going to do?"

"Dad, since those shares are under Nathaniel's name, why not have Nathaniel sell some shares to save us?" Rowan appeared from somewhere, suggesting quietly.

Hearing this, Brooke immediately perked up. "Yes! There's still Nathaniel! He's dying anyway—what does he need all those shares for?"

As Brooke finished speaking, Nathaniel's voice rang out from the doorway. "I'm not dying anytime soon. Sorry to disappoint you."