Chapter 367: She Is the Best Weapon
“Okay, Claire, as long as you’re willing to stay, I’ll agree to a hundred, a thousand conditions,” Arthur said, thrilled by Claire’s willingness. He rushed over and took her hand.
“It’s not too late for you to hear me out first,” Claire paused, surprised by Arthur’s unusual excitement. She hadn’t seen him this excited since childhood.
“Alright, go ahead,” Arthur nodded, glancing at her hand before releasing it.
Claire said, “You can’t force me into anything, especially not surrendering my freedom. I can stay if I want, but if I choose to leave, you can’t stop me.”
“It would help if you promised that I’ll have a normal life here and that you’ll handle everything regarding Frederick. I’ll add more conditions later if I think of them.”
Claire was cautious, outlining her conditions carefully, knowing she had to be wary of someone as unpredictable as Arthur.
Arthur replied, “Those are simple conditions. I was going to do that anyway. I promise to meet all of them, including any future additions. Also, Claire, I know you’ve always wanted to work at the Hiokech Group, and you’re competing for a formal position with those interns. I can help you get in…”
Arthur smiled helplessly at Claire’s words and brought up the matter of the Hiokech Group again.
Before Arthur could finish, Claire interrupted, “No need, Mr. Arthur Hawthorne. I appreciate your kindness. Please help me secure this internship. I’ll go to work when I want. I want to join the Hiokech Group through my own abilities.”
Arthur replied, “Okay.” He expected Claire to hesitate but was surprised by her direct refusal, feeling a surge of admiration for her determination. Given her current situation, she was in desperate need of this job and needed it more than others. If she were like other women, she might have resorted to desperate measures to secure his help. But soon, he recalled something, and the admiration in his eyes disappeared.
After a moment, he remembered that the servant said Claire hadn’t eaten and suggested, “Now that we’ve discussed everything, can you eat something? The servant mentioned you haven’t eaten since you woke up.”
Claire nodded. “Uh, okay.”
Relieved, Claire got up to follow him to eat, though an uneasy feeling lingered in her heart. Perhaps it stemmed from her long-standing impression of Arthur over the past twenty years or her limited knowledge of him. For years, her focus had been on Frederick, and while she had grown up alongside Arthur, they had never truly connected. However, given the circumstances, she had no better options. While staying at Arthur’s villa, she intended to learn more about him.
In this way, Claire settled down in Arthur’s villa. To avoid raising Arthur’s suspicion, she planned to lay low for a few days before gathering information about him. Since she was already in his villa, there were plenty of opportunities to explore, like the servants, the surroundings, and his daily activities, to learn more. Meanwhile, Arthur had arranged things well with the Hiokeeh Group, easing her concerns.
Just a few days after settling in, however, news reached them from Frederick’s side. One night, three days later, as Arthur prepared for bed, his secretary, Shawn, called urgently.
Shawn said, “Mr. Arthur Hawthorne, it’s bad news. It seems Frederick has discovered something about Ms. Prescott.”
“I see,” Arthur remained calm, unlike Shawn’s panic.
Shawn asked, “Should we send someone to…?”
“No need. With Frederick’s resources, he will eventually find out where Claire is, no matter where we hide her.” Arthur smirked coldly, having anticipated this outcome. He had long prepared for it, planning to let the situation play out to his advantage. From the moment he brought Claire to confront Frederick, he began strategizing. Sure enough, everything happened as he expected. Claire was a powerful weapon against Frederick, regardless of their complicated history or the life of Anna that separated them. Their entanglement had predetermined everything.
Arthur thought, “Hmph, Frederick, I will take this presidential position!”