Chapter 49: He Holds Her Black Silk Slip Dress

Chapter 49: Chapter 49: He Holds Her Black Silk Slip Dress

The torrential rain fell like a waterfall, threatening to swallow the whole of Aethel.

Claire Kendall stood under the eaves of The Arbor, her phone screen flashing on and off. The queue on her ride-hailing app had jumped from double to triple digits.

A chill spread through her heart as she recalled the look on Miles Warren’s face when he left.

’He must have heard that awful conversation.’

Through the curtain of rain, a black Phaeton pulled up in front of her. The window slid down, revealing the cold, aristocratic profile of Miles Warren.

"Get in," he said, his voice cold and hard.

Claire Kendall froze.

He glanced sideways at her, his expression a mixture of indifference and impatience.

"If something happens to you, it’ll delay Shirley Kendall’s surgery next week. Only after the operation is finished will we finally be quits."

’So that’s why.’

Claire Kendall dropped the act, quickly ducking into the passenger seat.

The heat was blasting inside the car. Claire Kendall pressed herself against the window, gazing outside and keeping as much distance as possible between herself and Miles Warren.

She snuck a glance at Miles Warren out of the corner of her eye. His expression was cold, his thin lips pressed into a tight line as he stared intently ahead, as if she were nothing more than a package to be delivered.

Claire Kendall bit her lip, the explanation she wanted to give caught in her throat.

’Maybe I should just come right out and say it.’

She struggled to speak. "War—" Before she could get the word out, the car’s Bluetooth phone rang.

Miles Warren shot her a glance and answered the call.

A sweet, feminine voice purred from the speakers.

"Mr. Warren, it’s raining so hard out there. I baked some cupcakes just for you. Want to come over and try one tonight?"

Claire Kendall stiffened.

’Crap.’

’That’s the voice of the girl he pulled out of the pool.’

’She’s already poached him? In just two days?’

Miles Warren’s tone was neutral. "Mm," he grunted. "Later."

"I’ll be waiting for you, then~"

The call ended, and the atmosphere in the car grew even more stifling.

Miles Warren shot her a cold look. "What was it you wanted to say?"

"Nothing. Just thanks," Claire Kendall said irritably.

’Scumbag!’

"Hah." A derisive smirk played on his lips.

The car pulled into the underground garage at Regency Gardens. Claire Kendall unbuckled her seatbelt and all but fled from the vehicle.

"Claire Kendall."

His voice echoed through the quiet, empty garage. Claire Kendall froze, then slowly, stiffly, turned her head.

"You dropped something."

Miles Warren walked over, dangling a black lace slip, as thin as a cicada’s wing, from two fingers.

Claire Kendall glanced down at her purse. The zipper was open; the contents must have slipped out at some point.

The color drained from her face, leaving her mortified.

He deliberately stuffed the garment back into her hand. The little ball of black lace seemed to burn under the fluorescent lights.

Miles Warren’s gaze traveled up to her face, his disgust unconcealed.

"Claire Kendall, your seduction tactics are remarkably uninspired."

"But if you’re going to try and hook someone, at least pick a decent target next time. Your taste is as terrible as ever."

With that, he turned, got back in his car, and drove off without a second glance.

Claire Kendall stared after him, her fists clenched.

’He’s right, my taste is terrible. Why else would I be trying to win *him* over?’

-

「Intoxica Bar.」

The music was deafening, the lights dim and seductive.

In a corner booth, Jonathan Keller and Julian Wilde were already drinking.

"Well, well. If it isn’t Dr. Warren himself, asking us out for a change." Julian Wilde raised his glass.

"When you suddenly took a leave of absence from the hospital, I knew something was up," Jonathan Keller said, his voice languid.

Miles Warren didn’t respond. He just picked up his glass and downed the hard liquor in one go. The burn that spread through his chest couldn’t quell the bitterness in his heart.

He reached for a second glass, but Julian Wilde quickly stopped him.

"What the hell, man? Drinking like that, you got a death wish? What’s gotten into you?"

Jonathan Keller cut straight to the point. "He gets this look on his face... it’s the exact same as ten years ago. Ten to one, it’s about a woman."

Julian Wilde immediately guessed, "Claire Kendall?"

At the mention of her name, Miles Warren’s jaw tightened.

His silence was the answer.

Jonathan Keller blinked. "No wonder I haven’t seen Ms. Kendall with you lately. So she dumped you."

He clicked his tongue. "It’s bizarre. With your looks, your family, your credentials... the line of people chasing you could stretch to Paris. But you got dumped ten years ago, and you get dumped again now. Those two women... they’ve got no taste at all..."

"Hold on a sec!!" An idea suddenly struck Julian Wilde. "I remember now!"

He shot to his feet, excited.

"That time Miles got wasted, he told us! The name of the girl who dumped him, the one who made him flee the country, was Claire Kendall!"

Jonathan Keller was floored.

"Holy crap! So the underclassman back in college who was always writing Miles love letters... the one he was totally hooked on... that was Claire Kendall??"

"No wonder she looked so familiar."

Miles Warren looked up, his voice practically ground out from between his teeth.

"You two talk too much."

His reaction was all the confirmation they needed.

Julian Wilde traced the rim of his glass, his tone sharp with sarcasm.

"For the same woman to make our high-and-mighty Mr. Warren trip up twice... this Claire Kendall must be something else."

He narrowed his eyes, his tone shifting. "Crescent’s heritage design project is still wrapping up. How about I make things a little more difficult for her?"

Miles Warren’s fingers tightened around his glass, his dark gaze locking onto Julian Wilde.

"Don’t touch her."

"Business is business, and personal is personal. Using your position at Crescent to mess with a woman... that’s beneath you, Julian."

"All right, all right, you’re the boss." Julian Wilde threw his hands up in surrender. "Our Mr. Warren, ever the gentleman. Even after she’s stabbed him in the back twice, he can’t bear to see her suffer."

"Mr. Warren~ It’s raining so hard, but I came all this way through the storm to bring you your cupcakes~"

A woman in a tight skirt and flawless makeup swayed over, setting the cake box on the coffee table.

It was Mielle, the girl from the pool. She sat down beside Miles Warren with a coquettish smile.

Miles frowned and leaned away slightly.

"So, Mr. Warren, did I call at a good time?"

Without looking at her, Miles Warren pulled a bank card from his pocket. "A million. No PIN. Just do what I tell you to do from now on."

Mielle plucked the card from his fingers and smiled knowingly. "Of course. Well, I’ll let you get back to it, Mr. Warren. Don’t forget to miss me~"

Mielle clicked away on her high heels. The cake she left on the table was a perfect, exquisite creation, its sweet, tempting aroma lingering in the air.

Miles Warren took out his phone, aimed it at the cake, and snapped a photo. He made sure to get a sliver of his wrist in the shot.

He sent the picture to Jonathan Keller.

"Post this on your feed." His voice was flat.

Julian Wilde leaned in as well. Jonathan Keller zoomed in on the image, puzzled. "What’s the big deal about post—"

"Holy shit."

Then, they both understood.

"Miles Warren, are you fucking kidding me? How childish can you be? Just to piss off Claire Kendall? A grade-schooler could come up with a better plan!"

"If you really wanted to get back at her," Julian Wilde sneered, "you’d refuse to do her mother’s surgery. Or use the Warren Group to blacklist Moonstone. Done."

"What’s posting on your social feed going to do? If she actually gave a damn about you, would she have dumped you twice?"