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Lucas stepped out of his car towards the bookshop that is listed as Claire's workplace on the business card she gave to Drake before. He debated with himself for a long time before finally deciding to come to this town and talk to her. Yes, he is now the one who is looking for her and have the need to talk. It must be done, otherwise his grandmother will have his head. He blew a breath when he remembered what happened after they went home from the party three days ago...

He parked his car on the garage and helped his grandmother and mother out of the car. 'Everything is fine.' he thought. He had dodged the incoming questions that his grandmother started to ask at the party. When they were inside, Helen ushered him into the mini library to talk. He was about to decline the invitation but the stare that his grandmother fixed on him made him follow her, his mother on his heels.

"Sit." Helen instructed him and he did so in a relaxed manner. He willed himself not to tense up with what is about to happen, although he started to perspire.

"Who is Claire?" Helen started her questioning.

"Just Claire. You don't know her or her family." He answered truthfully.

"When and where did you meet her? What is your relationship with her?" Helen asked which he simply countered with a "None of your concern."

He stood up to cease the questioning but the next statement that his grandmother said made him stop on his track.

"Amanda's parents wants you to marry her."

"What?!" He asked baffled. "Why would they want that?!" "What did you say to them?" He asked in succession that his grandmother motioned for him to sit again, in which he did after releasing a long breath.

"What is at stake?" The businessman in him made him ask.

"The merger of your companies." Helen replied.

His brow lifted at the answer. "So it will be like a business proposal? Our companies will merge if I marry their daughter." He quipped in a deadpan tone in which Helen replied with a simple yes.

"What did you say to them?" He querried.

"That I'll inform you first if you will agree since your future is at stake." Helen answered with a smile. He was about to say his thanks but what she said next made his brows crinkle in annoyance.

"But it is quite a good opportunity for the business and we will have a bigger benefit, don't you think?" She said as if trying to reconsider and persuading him to agree.

"No, I will not concede on this matter. This concerns my future as what you have said, so tell them that my answer is a no." Then he stood up and was about to reach the door when his grandmother tried again.

"Why don't you want to marry a woman like Amanda? She is beautiful, smart, comes from a well-off family and she likes you."

"But I do not like her grandmother. Even if marrying her means that I have a hand in their company I will not do so, not in a million years." He snapped at her. He thought she is finished but she said something that made him loose it.

"Now, I demand that you marry her! You are already at the right age to have a family, why not with her." Helen shouted in which he countered with a deafening cry that made his grandmother and mother - who has been watching the argument on the sideline - into a state of stupor.

"I will not marry anyone especially her because I am already married - to Claire!" Then he left the room without another word.

Present Day

The jingling of the bell indicating his entrance alerted the staffs inside who welcomed him with a rehearsed greeting. He approached the nearest female worker, him wearing his smile. "Good afternoon..Bea." He supplied the name written on her tag then asked "Is Claire here and available at the moment?"

He expected her to gape at him as what every other female do when he talked to them but instead the woman eyed him like a specimen under a microscope.

'Are all the females here like Claire?' He thought. 'Like they are immune to my charm.'

She kept on scrutinizing him until he became uncomfortable. He was about to repeat what he asked when the lady finally answered.

"She went home already because she's not feeling well." Bea answered then turned her back on him.

"Where is her home?" He asked before the woman completely leave.

"At her parent's house. Just go straight on this road then turn left at the crossroad, count four blocks then turn right, their house is the one with the beautiful garden in front." Bea answered him in a bored tone before leaving fast, wherein he can only reply a "Thank you!"

He followed the woman's instruction, it took him around five minutes before he saw the only house with a beautiful garden in front.

He hesitates again if what he was about to do will be productive or it will be a futile attempt.

Another five minutes passed of him deliberating his decision and continuously running his fingers through his hair. He knows he has been outside for so long because when he went out of his car and walk towards the door, it opened even before he had the opportunity to knock.

But what completely baffled him was not the automatic opening of the door but what the woman who opened it said to him.

"Hello, my name is Alessa, I am Claire's mother; and you must be Lucas...her husband."

---

Alessa is in awe after coming face to face with the young man. Her daughter forgot to inform her how handsome he is. Of course, her sons are all good-looking as what everybody says, but this man in front of her has an appeal of sort, maybe that is why Claire was bothered with the situation, she already met a man who can make her swoon. She smiled to herself and return her attention to the man at the door and welcomed him into their home.

"Please come in and make yourself comfortable. I just prepare you some snacks." She ushered him into the living room and left towards the kitchen. Good thing the boys are not at home, otherwise there will be growling and snapping at the visitor - like a dog. 'Oh my, I just compare my sons to a canine.' She laughed at herself with what she thought.

---

Lucas slowly took his surroundings, Claire's family have a modest and welcoming home. It's like a place you will look forward to be coming home after a long day at work.

He snap his attention when Alessa walk towards him carrying a tray on her hands with a slice of pumpkin pie and a glass of orange juice.

"I hope this will be to your liking." Alessa humbly offered the food to him.

"It is fine, thank you."

"So, what brought you here. Although I've been wondering for several days now as to when can I meet you." Alessa openly asked.

"Yes, I am sorry for the intrusion. I just want to talk to Claire about something. I was informed by Bea, the employee at the bookshop that she is here." Lucas said.

"Oh, so you met Beatriz, actually she is not a regular there. She is just lending a help every now and then. And yes, Claire is here, she is not feeling well that is why she left earlier than usual." Alessa answered truthfully.

Lucas brows furrowed at Alessa's reponse and asked with concern on his voice. "Is she okay? Did a doctor saw her already?"

Alessa's brows raised at the questions. 'He's concern of her well-being.' It is not simply the questions but the underlying note of worry on his voice that made her think that maybe he feels something for Claire as well.

"No, don't fret. It is just the time of the month, if you know what I mean." She said on a teasing voice.

Lucas felt himself flushed when he realized what she meant. He cleared his throat first before talking again. "Oh, okay..is she up to talk to me now? Or maybe I can come back some other day when she is feeling better."

"You will be able to talk to her today. She's been sleeping for four hours now, it will be enough rest for her. It is almost dinner anyway. You may join us, it is just me and Claire. My husband is away with work with my youngest son, while the others are also busy with their own work or some personal business; and since you are married to my daughter, technically, you are already my son and part of the family." Alessa explained lenghtly.

"Thank you for welcoming me. If you do not mind me joining you, then it will be my pleasure to join you for dinner. That is if your daughter will not kick me out of your house." Lucas said, slightly cringing at his thought that Alessa countered.

"Nonesense, she will do no such things. She will be polite as what she was taught to do. Although I cannot assure you that she will talk to you nicely." She finished it with a laugh.

Lucas slightly winced at that. What if Claire will not talk to him at all after what happened at his office?

---

Alessa saw the wince and discomfort that Lucas is trying to hide, so she said something to relieve him of his uneasiness.

"I was just joking. She will talk to you, don't fret. Actually she's been expecting your call or something about what she told you before. She is always on edge this past few weeks because of that."

He relaxed at what she said.

"So, can you tell me something about you and your family. Claire is not telling anything except that you have your own business." Alessa asked a question to open a conversation.

---

Lucas was taken aback as what Alessa said. 'Claire didn't say anything to her at all except that? Just how displeased Claire is with me? Not even that I am a billionaire and all?' He said to himself.

"Well, as you already know, I have my own business and I have several companies. I am an only child and though I have my own place I sometimes still stay at home with my grandmother and mother. I do that from time to time to please them." Lucas felt quesy, it's like being interrogated by a parent whose child is someone whom he is dating.

"What about your father?" He heard Alessa asked.

"He is already dead." He replied in a monotonous tone.

"I am sorry about that." Alessa caught how Lucas replied in an unfeeling way.

"It's okay ma'am, that happened a long time ago."

Alessa was about to inquire more when she heard footsteps coming from upstairs. Her daughter is already up and about. She just hopes that she will be in a good mood and felt refreshed from her nap. She is dreadful if it's the time of the month and everyone close to her knows that. So they always stay cleared of her way especially her boys. They learned it all the hard way during their growing years.

When she heard that Claire was finally down, she called out to her.

"Claire, honey, I am in the living room entertaining your visitor who's been waiting for several hours now for you to finish your nap." She hollered in a teasing note.

At the thought of finally being able to talk to Claire, Lucas began to feel another bout of nervousness. 'She will definitely kick me out of their house.' He said to himself.

He gaped at the sight of his wife when Claire rounded the corner towards the living room. If he thought she is already beautiful during their first meeting at his office, though hair in a messy bun and only in her pajamas, she looked magical to his eyes at the moment for she looked so natural - unlike the women he surrounds himself before.

As out of respect to the lady, he stood up and greeted her like a gentleman.

"Hello Claire. Good evening."

---

Claire couldn't believe her eyes when she saw who's the visitor that her mother is talking about. She should've been suspicious with her tone. At the sight of Lucas sitting comfortably in their living room and the thought that he will not heed her demand at all - making her jumpy and on edge - and adding that she is not feeling well at the moment, she yelled her question at him and did not respond to his greeting.

"What are you doing here?!!"

At the sight of his wife about to spit fire, one thought came into Lucas' mind: Do not mess with a woman who is cranky because of her period especially his wife.

************************************

Lucas will have another beating from Claire..lol!

Thank you for reading everyone. Please do comment about my writing, anything will be appreciated, may it be positive or negative is welcome.

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-blue