Chapter 10 His Slip
Clara had just wanted to ask Wesley why he was here alone and why Francis wasn’t with him, but the words stuck in her throat, and she swallowed them back down.
She gave Wesley a calm glance without saying a word, then walked around him and left without hesitation.
Zoe watched as she left the child behind, worry flashing across her face. She looked at Wesley then back at Clara, and finally hurried after her, hoping to talk some sense into her.
“Mommy, why did you leave me and walk away?” Wesley was furious when he saw Clara bypass him without a word. He quickly chased after her.
When Wesley looked up, he saw Clara staring at him with a cold, emotionless expression. The warmth and kindness that once filled her eyes were completely gone, sending a chill through his heart.
Still, he mustered his courage and said, “Hmph! Mommy, aren’t you afraid I’ll get mad and refuse to call you Mommy anymore?”
Clara, who hadn’t intended to acknowledge him, found his words amusing. She looked down at him from above and said, “Wesley, didn’t you say you wanted Natalie to be your Mommy? I already agreed today, so whether you call me Mommy or not doesn’t matter. From now on, I won’t consider you my son either. As for what you just said, if you’re mad because your daddy ignored you, then you should be looking for him, not me. He’s the one who made you upset. Coming to me won’t change anything.”
“Let’s
go,
Zoe. With that, Clara grabbed Zoe’s hand and walked away without sparing another glance at Wesley, who stood frozen in place.
Wesley was shocked by Clara’s attitude. No matter what happened before, she had never treated him this way. She used to crouch down and speak to him gently, never so distant and cold.
A sudden wave of panic surged in his heart.
No. Mommy wouldn’t leave me. She always says I’m her precious baby, that she loves me the most. She’s just upset with me because of Ms. Dawson.
With that thought, Wesley felt that Clara was being unreasonable again.
After the preliminary round, the stage name “Niora” started drawing attention, and Clara threw herself wholeheartedly into the upcoming competitions.
During the semifinals, “Niora” shone even brighter, repeatedly surpassing “Mr. F” and stirring curiosity among the audience. People were eager to uncover the real identity behind “Niora,” and some even spent a fortune to investigate.
0.31 PM
Chapter 10 His Slip
With the competition taking priority, she had no choice but to put the divorce on hold.
Finished
Pierce Corporation.
“Mr. Pierce, this is already the Nth proposal we’ve submitted, but the client still isn’t satisfied. Our department has been working nonstop without sleep, and we can’t keep this up.”
In the conference room, a man in a gray suit stood exhausted as he reported to Francis.
“Did the client mention what they were unhappy with?” Francis frowned, his deep eyes locked onto the man, his expression sharp.
The man shook his head, looking helpless. “That’s the problem. They reject every proposal but won’t say why or what they actually want. They just keep asking for new ones. We’ve put all our other projects on hold for this. Mr. Pierce, this project belongs to the Westwood family of Riverdale. We can’t afford to offend them, but if this keeps up, our entire department might quit.”
The Westwood family of Riverdale?
This was the last project he had taken on before returning to inherit the Pierce family business. He had wanted to complete it as a way to close this chapter of his life.
After a brief silence, Francis softened his tone. I’ll handle the negotiations personally. Have your team take the next couple of days off.”
Hearing this, the man looked relieved, as if a huge weight had been lifted. He thanked Francis profusely.
Two days later.
“Mr. Pierce, Mr. Liam has arrived.” The assistant hurriedly pushed open the door.
Francis immediately got up to greet him.
“Welcome, Mr. Liam. Please, this way.”
Liam Westwood entered with a faint smile, saying nothing as he let Francis lead him into the conference room.
As soon as they sat down, Francis handed him the carefully prepared design proposal. “Mr. Liam, thank you for coming all this way. This is a custom firework display we designed specifically for your project. Please take a look.”
Liam casually flipped through the pages, then set them down.
Chapter 10 His Slip
Finished
“You requested fireworks for the grand opening of Westwood Group’s amusement park, so I tailored the display to match the park’s theme. If there’s anything you’re dissatisfied with, please
let me know.”
Liam glanced at him with an unreadable expression.
“It’s terrible.”
Francis froze for a second. A flash of anger crossed his eyes, and his expression turned colder.
“Mr. Liam, do you dislike the firework design itself?”
Liam looked at him with a smirk. “I don’t like it at all. Mr. Pierce, is this really the extent of your abilities? After seeing your work, I’m starting to question your reputation. Or maybe all those glowing reviews about you were just bought with money? Did you pay to build up your own
name?”
Francis frowned in displeasure.
Liam seemed more convinced the more he spoke. “If that’s the case, then you’re truly shameless, Mr. Pierce. Although, it’s not like you ever had much dignity to begin with.”
He chuckled, as if amused by his own words.
Francis‘ brows furrowed tightly. If he hadn’t understood Liam’s intent before, he certainly did
now.
So he came here specifically to make things difficult for me. But why? I’ve never crossed him. What’s his reason for targeting me?
“Mr. Liam, do you have some kind of misunderstanding about me? I approached you sincerely. for this collaboration, but judging by your attitude, it seems like you never intended to work with us in the first place.”
Liam, seeing that his act had been exposed, no longer bothered to pretend. “That’s right. I’m here just to make things hard for you.”
“Mr. Liam, as far as I know, we have no past grudges. I don’t understand why you’re deliberately going against me. Francis‘ gaze grew colder.
Liam smirked with a hint of cruelty, his eyes sharp like a beast ready to strike.
Just then, as the tension in the room reached its peak, Wesley suddenly burst in.
“Daddy, I came to see you!”
Right behind him, Natalie followed.
Francis‘ expression darkened in displeasure, but when he saw Natalie, his face softened slightly.
Chapter 10 His Slip
Liam’s eyes widened in shock as he looked at Wesley, who bore
Finished
an uncanny resemblance to Clara.
Natalie’s expression flickered with surprise. “Mr. Liam, you know Clara?”
Though it was phrased as a question, her tone carried a hint of certainty.
Realizing his slip, Liam’s face flashed with regret.
But he quickly regained his composure and admitted it openly.
“What’s wrong? Am I not allowed to know Clara?”
