Chapter 301: Why Are You Such a Fool?
“Did someone come looking for you? Child, if you don’t want to leave, you can stay here. At my place, you can stay as long as you wish. As long as you don’t want to go, no one can take you away. I keep my word.”
Leon also noticed the drone overhead and looked up.
“Thank you, Sir. However, I still have to leave eventually.”
Claire gave Leon a grateful look, then went over and threw herself into his arms. For some reason, she felt an inexplicable sense of closeness to Leon. Perhaps it was because she had never experienced having a grandfather since she was little. Elizabeth had always told her how much her husband adored children. If he were still around, he would have absolutely loved Claire. Claire thought that maybe it was her longing for a grandfather that made this kind Leon feel so familiar to her.
Chapter 301: Why Are You Such a Fool?
She wanted to stay, but she couldn’t be so selfish. She had to consider the consequences. Who was Frederick? General Hawthorne, whose word was law and the second son of the Hawthorne family, wielded such great power. How many people in Kingstown could stand against him?
“Alright, if that’s your decision, so be it. But remember, make sure to tell me before you leave, so I can see you off.”
Seeing that Claire had made up her mind, Leon didn’t say anything more.
“Okay.”
Claire nodded and turned back to her room. That night, she lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. The truth was, she didn’t want to leave. Living here in this carefree paradise felt like true happiness. But she knew she had to face reality eventually and bear her responsibilities. She thought that maybe after Frederick became president, he would finally let her go. Then, she could return to this peaceful life again.
Chapter 301: Why Are You Such a Fool?
But first, she had to survive that long; after all, she still needed to take the hits meant for Caroline. After what felt like hours of thinking, exhaustion finally took over, and Claire drifted off. Little did she know she would have such a dream.
In her dream, she lived forever at the foot of Wits Mountain cliff, happy every single day. There were no more schemes to dodge, no more torture to endure. But in her dream, surprisingly, she was living there with Frederick. They even had two adorable children, a boy and a girl, and they were so happy together. The children ran joyfully through flower fields, calling out with pure delight.
Claire woke up the following day with a smile still on her face. Only then did she realize it had all been a dream. Thinking about everything in the dream, she gave a bitter laugh.
“Really, Claire? Haven’t you suffered enough? Even now, you’re still dreaming about a life with Frederick. How deeply must you love this man to cherish him still after all the pain he’s caused?”
She caught herself mentally mocking her feelings. After a long while, a gentle breeze brought her back to reality. Claire glanced at the darkening sky outside and got up to pack her things. She didn’t have much to begin with, having been pushed off the cliff by Caroline, so packing didn’t take long. With her belongings in hand, she neatly folded the blankets and gave the room one final cleaning before opening the door to leave.
“You are leaving now?”
Just as she closed the door and reached the courtyard gate, she heard Antony’s voice behind her. Turning around, she saw him standing in the courtyard, his eyes filled with melancholy and sadness, his belongings packed as well.
Claire clenched her hands, “You heard my conversation with Sir yesterday, didn’t you?”
“Yes. Claire, if you stay, I’ll stay with you. If you go, I’ll go with you. I won’t let you face this alone.”
Chapter 301: Why Are You Such a Fool?
Antony gave a sheepish smile and walked over to pat Claire’s head.
“Antony, why are you such a fool?”
Claire stared at him intently, her eyes immediately welling up with tears.
“A fool, am I? Well, if you think I’m foolish, then foolish I’ll be. You know what they say – ignorance is bliss!”
Antony smiled at her with tender affection. At eight o’clock, he and Claire returned to Kingstown. Back in Kingstown, he insisted on going home with Claire, but she absolutely refused.
Finally, Antony compromised. “Fine, if you won’t let me go with you. But call me when you get home safe, and since tomorrow’s Saturday with no work, call me when you wake up in the morning. If you don’t, I’m coming to Frederick’s place to find you.”
Antony was genuinely worried about Claire.
“Okay, I got it. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”
Chapter 301: Why Are You Such a Fool?
Claire nodded, appearing completely relaxed on the surface. But inside, she was terribly nervous, honestly not knowing what she’d face when she got back. She had no idea what Frederick might do. She only knew that if someone had to suffer the consequences, she’d rather bear them alone. Antony was innocent in all this, only caught up in her mess. He’d already done so much for her, and she couldn’t let him sacrifice anything more.
With that, Claire turned around, hailed a taxi, and headed straight to the Halfmoon Manor. At eight forty-five, Claire arrived at the Halfmoon Manor. The moment she walked in, Frederick received the news.
“General Hawthorne, Ms. Prescott has returned.”
Richard had been tracking Claire’s movements 24/7 these past few days, so, of course, he knew immediately.
“Home! Now!”
Frederick was in the middle of an online meeting, but the moment Richard reported in, he slammed his laptop shut and barked the order!