I yanked my arm out of his grip, letting out a cold laugh.
“What’s the matter? Planning to deny it? The transfer records don’t lie, Nicolas. I made sure to note it as a loan, not a gift.”
At last, Nicolas‘ mother seemed to catch on.
“Oh, come on now, Claire. We’re all family here. There’s no need to make things so formal.”
She turned to the relatives with an awkward smile plastered across her face. “The kids are just having a little disagreement. It’s nothing serious. They’ll sort it out soon enough.”
“Ma’am, you’re mistaken,” I said with a polite smile. “I never agreed to marry your son, so I don’t see how we’re considered ‘family.“”
“Claire!”
Nicolas had always been obsessed with his pride, and being called out like this in front of his family pushed him over the edge. His face turned red with anger.
“What are you trying to do?”
統
The room grew uncomfortably quiet, the tension so thick it could be cut with a knife.
I kept my calm smile, meeting his furious gaze head–on.
“What do you think I’m trying to do, Nicolas?” I asked coolly. “Did you really think I wouldn’t find out about certain things?”
He froze, his expression shifting from anger to uncertainty. Without waiting for a response, I turned on my heel, stormed out, and slammed the door behind me.
I’d booked that hotel for a reason, and I had no intention of wasting it.
However, as soon as I entered the hotel lobby, I stopped short.
Standing there, looking as sharp as ever in a perfectly tailored suit, was Aaron. Not a single hair was out of place, and his silver–framed glasses gave him an air of quiet authority. His sharp, striking features were impossible to
miss.
Surrounded by a small group of people, he looked like he’d just wrapped up a business meeting and was on his way back to the hotel.
I almost teared up. Look at that–while the rest of us were floundering, this capitalist was still hard at work on the 29th of December. If even he was grinding like this, how could the rest of us justify slacking off?
As I stood there staring, the group around him began to disperse. Aaron removed his glasses and tucked them neatly into his pocket. Then, he lifted his head only to meet my gaze.
“Claire?”
