Chapter 763

“Latham and I…”

Claire trailed off, amused by the sheer panic radiating from the woman. Was Stella worried she was some sort of gold-digging siren here to ruin the company?

“Have you heard the rumors about the switched-at-birth scandal?”

Claire knew that if Vertex International was seriously vetting this project, their intelligence department would have undoubtedly dug up all the dirty laundry on The James Family.

Recognition flashed in Stella’s eyes. “Wait… you’re the adopted heiress?”

“Exactly,” Claire smiled serenely.

Stella swallowed hard, her mind racing. Did that mean Claire manipulated the boss into buying out her estranged family’s mess as some sort of revenge plot?

Claire could read the skepticism right off the executive’s face and decided to lean right into it.

Yes, it was her!

“Keep the wealth in the family, right? If Vertex International sees a lucrative opportunity, why shouldn’t they take it?”

Did this woman honestly think Dane was some lovesick fool willing to burn his empire for a girl?

Dane was a ruthless, calculating shark.

True businessmen didn’t survive by letting romance cloud their financial judgment.

Claire felt Stella’s fears were completely unfounded.

And just as quickly, logic caught up with Stella.

The boss was notoriously cold-blooded. No one could manipulate him into a bad deal. She was severely overthinking things.

“I’m so sorry, Ms. James…” Stella stammered, unsure how to backtrack.

She had absolutely zero romantic designs on her boss and didn’t have anything against Claire. She just desperately wanted to protect the company’s bottom line.

Vertex paid phenomenally well, and she was a fiercely ambitious workaholic clawing her way up the corporate ladder.

Naturally, she guarded the company’s success like her own.

“It’s fine. You work for Vertex. It’s a good thing you’re protective of the company’s future,” Claire said, brushing off the awkwardness.

She pointed toward the dessert bar. “By the way, the sweets here are incredible. You have to try the Durian Cheese Gratin if you’re a fan of durian.”

Stella’s eyes lit up. “I’m absolutely grabbing a slice!”

The spread here was exceptionally high-end, Stella knew she could

never justify the cost of this hotel ön, her own dime. She was fully reing the perks of her boss’s expense account.

Leaving the executive to her dessert, Claire picked up two servings of the Durian Cheese Gratin and headed back to her table.

Stella, naturally, had the survival instincts not to intrude on her boss’s date.

Dane watched Claire return with her haul of sugar and fruit, a soft glint of amusement in his predatory gaze.

Underneath all her fierce independence, she was still a girl who loved her sweets. “Do you like shrimp?”

He gestured to the small bucket of massive, fresh prawns he had brought to the table.

“Love them,” Claire admitted without an ounce of hesitation.

If she wanted something, she said it.

Dane signaled the waiter to boil the seafood while he personally manned the tabletop grill, searing cuts of beef.

Claire happily dug into her food.

Once the shrimp were ready, Dane took it upon himself to peel them.

It was a surreal sight. A ruthless billionaire in a bespoke shirt and million dollar watch, meticulously peeling shrimp with his long, elegant fingers.

The only thing grounding him to

Qu

reality was the cheap plastic apronet

he had borrowed from the staff protect his tailored clothes content

“Claire, roll up my sleeves.”

She leaned across the table, her fingers deftly working the cuffs of his shirt.

The moment her skin brushed against the hard, warm muscle of his forearm, a jolt of electricity shot straight through her.

A heavy flush crept up her cheeks as she quickly finished the task, trying to ignore the sudden thud of her pulse.

“Do you want to try the Durian Cheese Gratin? It’s amazing.”

Needing a distraction, she devoured her dessert and offered him the second plate.

“Sure.” He wasn’t particularly fond of durian, but seeing how much she enjoyed it, he was willing to indulge.

Claire was about to hand him the plate, but his hands were entirely occupied dropping fresh, peeled shrimp into her bowl.