Chapter 72

Just as Irene was fantasizing about Gilmore's email invitation, a beautiful figure arrived at the Business Department's office door and knocked.

"I hope I didn't disturb anything," Claire said.

Although the office door was open, knocking was a courteous gesture, reflecting Claire's well-bred upbringing.

"Miss Carter," Irene said respectfully, snapping out of her daydream.

Gilmore said to Claire, "Since you're here, let's go to dinner!"

Claire nodded.

Irene realized Gilmore had invited Claire to dinner. She felt like a minor supporting character compared to her boss, the true female lead. Embarrassed by her earlier fantasies about Gilmore, she wished she could disappear.

Claire smiled upon seeing Gilmore's parents. "Sir, Madam, are you Gilmore's parents?" she asked.

Gilmore's parents, already aware of Claire's identity as the mall's Vice President, stood and said gratefully, "Miss Carter, thank you for investing in us and waiving our rent."

Claire waved her hand. "Mr. and Mrs. Reed, you're too kind. I'm grateful for finding such a promising investment opportunity."

Irene was dumbfounded. She questioned the restaurant's investment worth and potential.

After chatting, Claire said, "Mr. and Mrs. Reed, let's go to dinner now!" They readily agreed, charmed by the polite Vice President.

The group left the office. Shortly after, Claire's phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID, expressionless, and hung up. The phone rang again; she hung up again. The persistent caller continued to ring.

Gilmore's parents and Irene watched in astonishment. Why wasn't Miss Carter answering?

Gilmore teased, "If you don't answer, he'll keep calling. Let me talk to him if you don't want to."

Claire frowned, slightly angry. "Tell him not to call again. Tell him I'm busy," she said to Gilmore.

Her phone rang again.

"Give it to me!" Gilmore said.

Claire handed him the phone. The caller ID read "Housefly."

Gilmore chuckled. "I didn't expect that name."

Claire grumbled, "Because he's as disgusting as a housefly."

Gilmore was speechless, thinking, "A woman's wrath is a terrible thing."

Gilmore answered the call silently. A gentle male voice said, "Claire, you finally answered. It's almost dinnertime. May I invite you to dinner?"

Gilmore was impressed by the caller's calm demeanor despite Claire's repeated hang-ups. He suspected the man possessed either exceptional patience or masterful emotional control.

Gilmore coughed. "Sir, I'm sorry! Claire's unavailable. Please don't call again."

The caller fell silent, then spoke again, his calm voice laced with authority, "Who are you? Why do you have Claire's phone?" Gilmore detected suppressed anger and a subtle threat.

Gilmore, unfazed by threats, smiled and said, "I'm Claire's boyfriend." He hung up immediately.

Everyone was shocked. Irene deduced Claire's investment in Gilmore's parents' restaurant was due to her relationship with Gilmore. Gerald wondered about Gilmore's relationship with his boss, the Foster family's daughter. Gilmore's parents were confused, knowing their son was with Lilian.

Gilmore returned the phone to a stunned Claire. "There, fixed," he said. She responded with a "hmm."

Her phone rang again. This time, she turned it off. The elevator arrived, and they all entered. The atmosphere was tense.

Claire recalled Gilmore's phone call with Benjamin Palmer, the eldest Palmer son, and felt her face flush.

The elevator reached the first floor. Irene breathed a sigh of relief.

Outside, Claire's expression returned to normal. "There's a good vegetarian restaurant in the mall," she said.

"Your choice," Gilmore replied.

They headed to the restaurant. The end.

Note: The final promotional text was removed as it was irrelevant to the story itself. The formatting was also cleaned up for better readability.