Chapter 369

Claire nodded. “Okay, go ahead p>

Mabel’s eyes lit up and she waved Eaton over, asking him to snap a few photos of her. Valerie hovered nearby, hoping to join in, but even though Mabel kept smiling and pretending to include her, she mostly asked Eaton to focus on her alone.

Mabel had picked up on how Valerie looked down on Claire. This was Claire’s place, after all. Letting Valerie bask in the spotlight as a guest might actually annoy Claire, so Mabel played it smart.

Eaton was your typical rich kid, not great at anything serious, but he definitely knew how to have fun. When it came to taking pictures, he’d even taken a few classes, so it was no wonder his photos looked stunning.

Valerie wanted a mini photoshoot too, but Eaton was busy with Mabel. In the end, Valerie just took a few selfies by herself, a little left out.

Claire lingered with them in the courtyard until someone called out that dinner was ready. Only then did she lead Mabel and the others back inside.

“My yard’s kind of a mess. There’s really nothing too impressive here to photograph,” she said offhandedly.

Mabel understood. Just getting invited in was already a big deal. She didn’t expect to spend hours wandering around, so she was grateful for what she got.

“Thanks, Claire.” Mabel scrolled through the pictures on Eaton’s camera and felt pretty pleased with how she looked.

“No problem.” Claire smiled a little.

She actually found Mabel quite likable. Honestly, if Valerie had been the one who wanted a tour, Claire probably wouldn’t even have bothered opening the door.

Later, Mabel pulled Claire aside. “Claire, I wanted to give you a heads-up about something. I thought you should know p>

“What’s up?” Claire looked curious.

“My family is in real estate, and I heard the James family is moving into the same business Right now, everyone sighting for investment and they’re all after the big plot of land on the west side of town p>

Claire was surprised. She never thought Mabel, who seemed all about fun and parties, would be tuned into business gossip.

“You know what the toughest hurdle is if anyone tries to develop the west side?” Mabel asked, but she didn’t wait for a reply. “It’s Hearth & Kettle p>

“Hearth & Kettle?” Claire nodded, understanding. If there was going to be any development, dealing with whether they could demolish Hearth & Kettle would be a huge challenge.

Besides, they’d need the owner’s permission. Claire wasn’t about to let anyone mess with the house that had been Pandora’s wedding gift.

“If my family wins the bid to develop that land, I’m confident I can convince my dad

to protect Hearth & Kettle and the whole property. But if someone else gets it… who knows p>

People liked to think rich girls were just about parties, but Mabel clearly paid attention to family business. She could tell that Hearth & Kettle sat on a large patch of land, but keeping it as is would actually I more valuable, especially since it was such a local landmark. It was a private home, which was a bit of a shame, because they couldn’t just open it to the public. Still, with the Hearth & Kettle restaurant in the front, the place was already a goldmine.

“Thank you, Mabel. I wouldn’t have known anything about this if you hadn’t told me p>

Claire actually called her by name, and Mabel’s face lit up with a real, happy smile.

“I just wanted you to be prepared. If the White family still owned this place, maybe Jennifer could handle those developers. But now that you’re in charge p>

Mabel trailed off. She didn’t want to stir up trouble between Claire and the Latham family, but she was just being honest.

“If the James family tries to guilt you with those years they spent raising you, they might put you in a tough spot, just hope you don’t get pressured into giving up your house or agreeing to a bad deal p>