Chapter 252

Unless they just couldn’t help themselves.

Norris let out a dry laugh. “Sure, I’m an academic, but I’ve saved up plenty over the years. All my bonuses and research grants? Claire can have them p>

Owen jumped in, not wanting to be outdone. “I might love to eat, drink, and have fun, but my clubs and amusement parks do pretty well. I make good money, too p>

They made it obvious they weren’t the least bit interested in letting Phil pay for anything.

Phil didn’t get upset. “Thing is, I’m the only one working at Grandpa’s company. I can sign a contract for a hundred million dollars any time I want p>

Norris and Owen went quiet. There was just no competing with him. Phil was always the one most interested in business, and he was definitely the most sharp-minded in the family.

“Thank you, all of you.” Claire blinked back tears as she accepted three million dollars in allowance. She wondered, if Cindy ever found out just how loaded her grandpa’s family was, would she regret her choices? Cindy was the type who always wanted people to treat her well. She wanted all the benefits, but never any of the downsides. When she thought Pandora was just an old lady from the countryside, she couldn’t wait to get out of James Village. But when she heard that the agarwood pillow Pandora let her use was worth twenty million, she instantly regretted leaving so quickly.

“If you run out of pocket money, just tell us,” Norris said, deciding he’d give Claire more money later. Giving her too much at once felt risky—what if someone tried to take advantage of her? Bishop actually had a point.

“Okay,” Claire nodded.

Living with the Churchill family, Claire was basically everyone’s favorite, and she adjusted fast. She joined in the conversation, sharing a little about her life over the years, but she didn’t say much. Mostly, the family talked about her mother, Melissa. Padgett especially couldn’t stop talking about his daughter; he clearly missed her.

They’d only been chatting a few minutes when a servant came in. “Sir, Dane is here p>

“Dane?” Padgett looked surprised., “Why’s be here?” Then he

remembered. “Oh, right, he called me yesterday Wanted me to get a rare Herb for his grandpa Let him in p>

Claire’s heart skipped when she heard the name Dane and realized he was from Apex. Could it really be that coincidence?

When Dane walked in, her surprise was mixed with a sense that this was bound to happen.

Dane looked just as stunned to see Claire.

Padgett assumed Dane was just curious about the new face and smiled. “Dane,

come here and meet my granddaughter, Claire p>

Dane raised his eyebrows. “Granddaughter p>

“She’s Melissa’s daughter,” Padgett explained.

Understanding lit up Dane’s face. “I thought Claire looked familiar, but I couldn’t place it. She looks like Melissa p>

The connection between the Green

and Churchill families went back another generation. Dane had an uncle who wasn’t Baldrick’s biological son-he was the son of Baldrick’s older brother. After Baldrick’s brother died his son was adopted by Baldrick. The Green family had so few heirs that Baldrick treated his nephew as his own. Since Baldrick’s biological son was in poor health, he arranged a great marriage for his nephew. That’s how Ablett and Melissa got engaged.

But when Melissa broke off the engagement, the Churchills felt they owed the Greens. Padgett, feeling guilty, once promised that if their next generation had a daughter, she’d be engaged to Dane. Only, the third generation of Churchills had only three boys, while Dane was the Green family’s only heir.

Both families let it go. No one expected the Churchills would suddenly discover a long-lost daughter, and that Dane would be the one to stumble right into her.