Chapter 989

It looked as though they were the only two people who truly belonged in each other’s world.

In that fleeting second, Felix completely lost the nerve to walk over and interrupt them.

Even though that woman was his wife.

Felix’s intense focus was locked exclusively on Claire, completely and utterly ignoring Madeline sitting right across from him.

Madeline was on the verge of letting her meticulously practiced fake smile slip.

No matter what she said, Felix didn’t respond.

Being the only one trying in this so-called romantic date felt like a total humiliation.

She had barely touched her food, entirely full on pure rage.

Catching Claire standing up out of the corner of her eye to head toward the restroom, Madeline immediately stood up and announced she needed to go as well.

Felix didn’t even acknowledge her departure, his eyes tracking Claire’s retreating figure the entire time.

Madeline bit her lip so hard she nearly drew blood. The moment she turned away, her face morphed into a mask of pure malice.

Claire had finished her meal and was feeling incredibly uplifted.

Her grandmother’s caretaker had just texted her, mentioning that the old woman’s health had been rather fragile lately.

She had caught a chill last week and had been suffering from a lingering cough.

After a moment’s thought, Claire texted back, saying she would drop by tomorrow to visit her.

Before closing the app, she made sure to ask the caretaker what time she should visit to ensure she wouldn’t run into Felix.

The caretaker, having worked for the family for years, was well aware that the married couple despised each other.

“Tomorrow is Wednesday, so Mr. Quigley won’t be coming to the estate. You can relax.”

“Tomorrow it is, then,” Claire replied.

She tucked her phone into her purse and walked into the restroom, immediately spotting Madeline preening in front of the vanity mirror.

Disgusting.

Claire ignored her existence entirely, turning on the faucet to wash her hands.

Madeline had purposefully followed her in here. Since they were face-to-face, there was absolutely no way she was letting Claire walk out without a fight.

“See the tiara on my head, Claire?” she taunted, leaning deliberately closer to the glass to admire her reflection.

Claire kept her eyes firmly cast down, refusing to engage.

How could she possibly miss it?

“Felix dropped twenty million dollars to win this for me at the auction. It’s my birthday present. I remember when we were kids, you wouldn’t evert let me breathe on this thing Now? I own it. Funny how the world

works, isn’t it?”

Madeline still remembered the exact moment she laid eyes on this tiara, absolutely mesmerized by its brilliance.

She had been five, and Claire was seven.

She had begged Claire to just let her try it on.

But Claire fiercely refused, saying it was her mother’s masterpiece, that it was

priceless, and she was terrified Madeline would break it.

Madeline had thoroughly convinced herself that Claire was just being selfish and lying about it breaking.

She had held onto that grudge for years.

Later, after Madeline’s father legally

secured custody of Claire, he

Claired net

effortlessly hijacked all of

all

parents’ wealth, including the

jewelry.

The very first thing Madeline did was dig out the tiara, shove it onto her head, and parade around right in front of Claire to mock her.

*”Back then, you wouldn’t even let me look at it. Now, it’s all mine. I can wear it

however I want. Does it make you mad?”*

Claire was ten years old then.

With tear-filled eyes, she had lunged

forward to grab her mother’s

possession back. But before she even touched her, Madeline threw herself backward, screaming for her mother crying that Claire was trying? to beat her.

Aunt Jean stormed into the room. Without asking a single question, she backhanded Claire across the face.

*”You ungrateful little brat! You eat my food, live in my house, and you dare hit my daughter? Do you have a death wish?”*

The violent slap had sent a frail, tiny Claire crashing hard onto the floor, her ears ringing violently.

Before she could even scramble up, Aunt Jean kicked her viciously in the ribs.

The pain was so blinding she couldn’t even scream, curling into a tight ball on the freezing hardwood floor.

Through her blurred vision, she saw Madeline smirking at her in absolute triumph. After that, Aunt Jean locked her in a room and starved her for two straight days. Disgusting setups and frames like that had happened too many times to count.