Chapter 281
The necklace was a stunner, all tassels and shimmering emeralds, each oval gem surrounded by sparkling pear and brilliant-cut diamonds. Claire unfastened it and turned it over in her hands, marveling at the clever design. The tassel wasn’t just for show. It could be detached and reassembled as a bracelet, which was pretty genius. There were matching earrings and a ring too, both centered with oval emeralds and accented by more of those twinkling diamonds.
She counted the cabochons—thirty-four in total. Each one glowed a vivid, watery green, their colors so even it was almost unreal. Claire remembered seeing a similar set online once, auctioned in Eldoria for a mind-blowing eighteen million. This one had to be worth at least twenty million, maybe more.
Baldrick had gifted it to her like it was nothing. Claire couldn’t help but wonder if it was just a welcome present or maybe a quiet thank you for her medical skills. Either way, the set was breathtaking, and she couldn’t stop herself from falling for it. She stood in front of the mirror, holding the necklace up to her neck, watching how the deep green made her skin look even paler, almost porcelain-like.
She admired the jewelry for a long moment before finally getting ready for bed.
The next morning, Claire was up early. She joined Padgett and the others for breakfast, then started packing up for school. The Apex team was leaving that day, and she needed to go with them. Back at school, she’d have to catch up on missed classes. The school had arranged extra sessions just to make sure everyone stayed on track for the competition. Skipping them wasn’t an option.
“Do you really have to go?” Ophelia’s reluctance was clear as she held Claire’s hand after breakfast, not wanting to let go. “Wouldn’t it be better to stay here in Cabinda? Norris could tutor you himself. And your grandpa wants to throw a banquet to announce who you are. From then on, you’d officially be part of The Churchill Family. No one would dare look down on you again p>
Ophelia knew what Claire had gone through at school. Ever since everyone found out she wasn’t really the James family heiress, she’d become the target of gossip and exclusion. It broke Ophelia’s heart. In her eyes, Claire was the Churchill family’s treasure, someone who deserved the world, not this kind of treatment. The James Family? That title didn’t mean much anymore.
Announcing Claire’s true identity had been a decision Ophelia and Padgett made together. They just wanted to protect her.
“Grandpa, Ophelia, I know you’re doing all this for me. You want what’s best, and I appreciate it. But I don’t need more attention right now. There’s still no word about my parents p>
The room grew quiet as Claire spoke. Padgett’s eyes turned red. He understood right away. Claire wasn’t refusing to be part of the family-she just didn’t want to risk her parents’ safety. If she was publicly revealed as a Churchill, someone might start connecting the dots between the two families. She wasn’t just worried for herself, but for everyone she cared about.
“Are you really sure?” Padgett asked gently. “Honestly, announcing your identity isn’t as risky as you think. I’ve been high-profile for years and no one’s dared to cross me. If we make it official, people will know you’re Melissa’s daughter. We’ll say Melissa and her husband passed away in an accident. That way, people will respect your background, but they won’t dig into your parents’ business p>
The more mature Claire acted, the more it tugged at the elders’ hearts.
“Let’s wait,” Claire said softly. “How about we hold off until I get into college? The longer we can delay, he better just… I’m not only
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families. I’m afraid the James Family will find another excuse to bother us. They’ll never give up a chance to connect with the Churchills p>
Padgett nodded, weighing her words. Ophelia squeezed her hand tighter.
“Maybe we can wait until your competition results come out,” she suggested. “Norris says your scores are fantastic. He says you have the same talent your mother did p>