Chapter 3
Claude didn’t show up for the next few days.
It wasn’t until her discharge day that Aaliyah saw him again.
He appeared at her hospital room door with Caroline, who was clinging to his arm, looking perfectly healthy.
“Oh wow, Aaliyah, you bounce back so fast! Unlike me-I’ve always been so delicate. I had just little sniffle and Claude just went into total panic mode,” Caroline said sweetly. “He insisted on bringing me to the hospital for a checkup~”
Aaliyah calmly packed her things without looking up.
Claude kept staring at her, as if searching for some reaction on her face,
We’ll give you a ride home. Caroline’s place is being renovated, so she’ll be staying with us for a while,” he said suddenly.
‘Oh.” Aaliyah zipped up her suitcase. “Whatever.”
n fifteen days, when the divorce waiting period ended, they’d have nothing to do with each other anyway.
He could move in whoever he wanted-it was none of her business.
Seeing her indifferent response, Claude’s expression darkened instantly.
Back at the house, Claude seemed determined to provoke her, being overly affectionate with Caroline right in front of Aaliyah.
But no matter how hard he tried to get a rise out of her, Aaliyah remained unfazed.
at dinner, Claude hand-peeled shrimp for Caroline, feeding her bite by bite.
Laliyah mechanically chewed her food-completely tasteless.
Ah!” Caroline suddenly cried out, scratching at her arms. “It’s so itchy…”
aliyah looked up to see red welts spreading rapidly across Caroline’s neck, her breathing becoming labored.
laude immediately scooped her up. “Call the doctor!”
he private physician arrived quickly, diagnosing a peanut allergy.
laude’s face turned stormy as he called over the housekeeper, his voice ice-cold and terrifying. “How many times have I told you Caroline is allergic to eanuts? Why was there peanut sauce in tonight’s dinner?”
he housekeeper kept her head down, nervously twisting her apron, glancing furtively at Aaliyah. “It was… it was Mrs. Preston who insisted I add it… Sorry, sir, m just the help…”
aliyah shot to her feet in shock, her chair scraping harshly against the floor. “When did I ever-”
Come on, Mrs. Preston, don’t even try to deny it,” the housekeeper suddenly got louder, cutting her off. “You told me yourself-you couldn’t stand having Miss llis around, you were jealous of how good Mr. Preston was to her, so you wanted us to teach her a lesson…”
Aaliyah.”
laude’s voice was arctic, the entire dining room seeming to drop several degrees.
le walked toward her step by step, his dress shoes clicking distinctly on the marble floor.
You’ve been so quiet since that day at the courthouse, I thought you’d finally learned your place.” He looked down at her, his gaze sharp enough to cut through
er thoughts. “Turns out you were just plotting this kind of shit.”
aliyah was about to defend herself when she froze-
he clearly saw Claude’s lips curve slightly upward. It was fleeting, but that smile was real.
Since you made Caroline suffer an allergic reaction,” Claude turned to retrieve a bottle of liquor from the bar, the glass bottle clinking crisply against the table,
20:43
99 Divorce Games: The Final Round Goes My Way
8.3%
you should experience one too.”
Aaliyah’s blood ran cold, her back pressed against the wall.
He damn well knew. He’d always known about her alcohol allergy.
Two bodyguards grabbed her shoulders from either side, their rough fingers digging painfully into her skin.
When the liquor burned down her throat, the searing pain spread from her mouth all the way to her stomach. She coughed violently, tears streaming uncontrollably, but they still forced most of the bottle down her throat.
Soon, the familiar stinging sensation began rising from deep within her skin.
Her neck and arms broke out in angry red welts, her breathing became increasingly difficult, and her vision started to blur.
Before she completely lost consciousness, the last thing Aaliyah saw was Claude standing backlit, that subtle curve at the corner of his mouth.
He was smiling.
He was actually smiling.
When she woke up, only a dim wall lamp lit the bedroom.
laude sat beside the bed, his long fingers flipping through documents. He looked up when he heard her stirring.
You’re awake?” He closed the file, his tone as casual as discussing the weather. “Don’t try that shit again.”
Aaliyah struggled to sit up, her throat burning.
Looking at Claude’s obviously softened expression, she suddenly got it, and it hit her like a punch to the gut-
le didn’t care whether Caroline had an allergic reaction.
What he cared about was her recent coldness. What he enjoyed was watching her fight jealously over him.
ust like those love letters locked in his safe said-he loved watching her go crazy for him, lose her mind over him.
oo bad this time, she wouldn’t play his game anymore…
‘ifteen days left.
n fifteen days, they’d be done. Forever.
