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A week already passed since Claire left but Lucas cannot wipe how she looks that day from his memory. She looks so hurt that he controlled himself that day to hugged her and take back everything that he said. The finality on her voice before she left his office left him hollow. He accepted the slap she gave him, though he wanted to lash out. He expected her as well to bang the door after she went out but it didn't happen which made him feeling worse.

He purposefully hurt her with his words for he wanted her to feel the pain he felt at what she did to him. The pictures that Amanda showed him which, as per her, she took at the charity ball, shows Claire going in and out of a room in which Sean Anderson also went into.

The pictures confirmed his assumption that she's been duping and playing him. It added to the pain that he is already feeling which made him turn to alcohol. Though he is always with Amanda these days, kissing, necking and pecking even to a point where Claire caught them, they are not having sex for he cannot do the deed with Claire's face constantly popping on his mind.

He clenched his teeth once more when he remembered her hurtful look. His train of thought was caught with the soft knock on his office door. Sophie's face came into view followed by his grandmother. He stood up and met her halfway and assisted her to sit in the sofa. He asked Sophie to bring in some refreshment before he sat in front of Helena and asked.

"What are you doing her grandma? Where is mother?" Instead of answering his querries, Helena just stared at him pointedly making him squirm after several minutes. It was only cut when Sophie came and put the refreshment and some snacks on the table. He thought he needed to ask her again but Helena spoke even before he opened his mouth.

"What are you doing with your life Lucas?" It was spoken in her normal tone but she gave an emphasis on every word which made it feel like she is reprimanding him for whatever wrong he had done. Instead of answering it, he asked her in return.

"Whatever do you mean, grandma?"

"Claire. Why did she left? Why did you let her leave? Or are you the one who pushed her out of your door?" The questions made him uneasy that he refused to answer it directly.

"Whatever is happening with us is none of your concern grandma." His answer made Helena rant.

"Not my concern? You are my grandson Lucas and the only heir of this company. Though I needed you to sire a son that will take over your position in the near future, your happiness is more important to me. I have seen how happy you are with her that I already accepted the fact that you made it possible to be married by faking it. You might have thought that you both fooled me with your setup even to the point of her living with you. But your emotions towards each other cannot fool anyone especially me, what with my advance age. You both wear your heart in your sleeves and it is enough for someone like me to keep the pretense, that I know nothing."

"But whatever is happening with the two of you cannot make me stay put for I've been wanting you to settle down for so long and I like Claire more than any other woman I set you up with. Much more than Amanda with the promise of a business merger."

Helena's long speech made him gape for she knows that they are in a fake marriage. But what caught his attention more is the fact that him and Claire both felt the same way, for if that is true, he made a big mistake of hurting her. Not to be derailed from what he had felt and done, he asked her to confirm.

"How can you say that she also felt something for me?"

Helena sipped her tea first before answering. "It's how the way she looks at you, the same way you look at her when you thought nobody is watching."

"If what you say is true, then how can she have another relationship with two other men?" He cannot control himself from saying it especially the hurt on his voice.

"What other men are you talking about?" Helena asked exasperated which made him feel slightly doubtful about what he knew and felt.

"I have proof that she is having an affair with other men." He answered and took out his phone to show her the pictures from the charity ball that Amanda sent to him.

He saw her brows furrowed and look at the pictures for sometime before she returned his phone. He felt a little triumphant with his evidence but what Helena said within next several minutes made it crashing down.

"That is Sean Dashiel Anderson on the picture, am I correct?" At his nod, she continued. "Did you ask Claire who he is on her life? What is their real relationship?" He shook his head as his response to her question.

"Then you have made a huge mistake in thinking that she is having an affair with someone else, especially if that person is her brother." What she said made him sat straighter.

"How can that be? She is a Sullivan and Sean is an Anderson. It is impossible for them to be related." He answered with voice slightly higher than normal for if what his grandmother said is true, will make him the biggest a**hole in the entire planet. He will also curse himself forever for the hurtful things he said to her.

"I didn't dig deeper to the real reason how their relationship became like that, all I know is that their mother, Alessa is a Sullivan before she married Nathaniel who is an Anderson." Helena explained which made him want to hurt himself. He remained speechless for several minutes before he heard Helena's voice.

"What are you going to do about this situation Lucas? Are you going to follow her and beg for forgiveness or are you going to mope and forever loose the only woman you loved?"

He didn't answer the question that made him thought deeply. He didn't notice Helena leaving or how many minutes he sat there pondering what will be his next plan.

He set it aside for the meantime since he needed to go to California for another trip. He came back after three days with the sole decision of following her to Millbrook or wherever she may be, even if it will be at the edge of the earth.

He took care some necessary things first for he doesn't know how long he will be gone. Claire may refuse to face him after what happened especially since he already sent the documents to her a day before Helena's visit, which thankfully is not yet sent back to him. The thought that maybe Claire is having a hard time signing those papers made him hopeful. He may have a chance of fixing this problem that he foolishly made.

He asked Drake once more to oversee his business. He even told him what Helena said to him earning him an earful and some cursing which he gladly accepted. He called his grandmother and informed her of his plan of wooing his wife. Helena even wanted to accompany him saying she will act as a support. They plan to travel to Millbrook after two days which will make it two weeks since Claire left or rather since he pushed her out of his life.

---

The day of their travel came, he had been busy with the endorsements of things and documents to Drake since they are in the middle of a very important transaction that if will fail, will make him loose several billions. But he didn't care anymore whether it will fail or not, what is more important to him right now is to get her back at all cost. He drove his car while Helena and Anne are chatting. Yes, his mother also came with them with the reason that she will be an additional support for his mission. He just sighed and conceded since he really needed all the support he can get.

They checked in at a hotel and decided to go to the Anderson's in the morning since they arrived at Millbrook already past seven o'clock in the evening.

Before he went to bed, he prayed that his plan for tomorrow will be fruitful for he just realized that his life is nothing without Claire beside him.

---

Morning came sooner than he thought. He is already up and pacing his rented room even before the sun peeked from the horizon. He is rehearsing his speech over and over again on his mind. He just hoped that it will be enough, otherwise he needed to think a plan B.

He went down to the hotel's restaurant at exactly seven in the morning which him and his family plan to have their breakfast. The food is great but his mind is wandering to the woman he will see soon. The breakfast made him recall memories of them having their meal together as well as the times when all they do is laugh at each other's faces without being annoyed. He also misses her smile and her laugh, how it made her eyes sparkle with glee.

His thoughts were cut by his mother's voice urging him to get up for they already finished their meal. Anxiety and worry came full force, the two emotions he's been adamant not to feel for the past several days which may hinder his plan. He drove the remaining kilometers from the hotel to Claire's home with silence. His family might have felt his emotion as well for they talked in hushed whisper in order not to bother him. He parked his car outside and step out of the car after taking a deep breath. He assisted Helena and Anne out and ushered them towards the door. He knocked first and came face to face with Ethan. His brows furrowed which Ethan mirrored and ask.

"What are you doing here Harrison?"

"I did not come here to have a fight with you, I came here for Claire." He answered civilly.

"For what reason that you wanted to see my sister?" Ethan continued his questions as if no plan of letting him inside. His palm started to itch with annoyance at his insistent querries. But instead of giving Ethan a blow, he decided to step into his space making them stand nose to nose before he said in a forced whisper.

"That is none of your concern, Anderson." His answer made Ethan's face darker up to a point of maybe starting a fight but Alessa's sudden appearance made him control his anger.

"Ethan, where are your manners? Let our visitors come inside." Alessa reprimanded Ethan. She then turn to them and let them in. She assisted and ushered his grandmother while Anne followed. He remain standing there in front of Ethan which is now in a sour mood. He gave him a smirk before letting himself in. He heard the closing of the door and heavy footsteps indicating that his archenemy is following as well.

He saw that his family is already seated while Alessa is asking for forgiveness for how the way her firstborn is behaving. He sat as well for her statement made his assumption of Sean's, Ethan's and Claire's affair be untrue, making him squirm inside. He was shocked when Ethan approached his family and promptly apologized.

"I'm sorry for how I behaved. It is safe to say that there is no love lost between me and your grandson. I am Ethan by the way, glad to make your acquaintance." Instead of getting annoyed, Helena accepted his apology without preamble and even kissed Ethan on his cheeks, his mother did as well.

"We know males have certain differences and the only way for them to let it out is by being physical. So it is okay and we understand." Anne answered which made them both calm.

Their attention was caught by opening of the front door and in came four other males which he thinks are the remaining members of the family. Alessa introduced the newly arrived to be her husband Nathan, Ollie the second eldest, Sean, the third one and Zach, the youngest brother before Claire. He suddenly felt himself sweating with tension for if he will confess what he had done to Claire, he might leave their house limping with bruised face or worse he will be hospitalized for many months that recuperating is highly impossible.

He cleared his throat and about to ask where is Claire and of her well-being when Alessa spoke first.

"What brought you all here? And where is Claire? She came with you isn't she? Did you drop her by the store?" Alessa asked without a pause. It would have made him smile except for the fact that she is implying that Claire isn't with them. He started to feel a certain dread making him silent, thankfully his grandmother spoke for him.

"Isn't she here? She already left and packed her things about two weeks ago, and that is the reason why we are here."

He supplied the remaining facts for he felt that it should be him explaining and not his family.

"We had a fallout because of something that I assumed to be true without knowing the whole truth."

At what he said the brothers asked in succession.

Ethan: "What do you mean you had a fallout?"

Ollie: "Are you in some kind of a relationship?"

Sean: "Isn't it that you are only pretending?" At his question, everyone looked at him.

Zach: "Do you love her?"

He opted to answer their questions truthfully if he really wanted their efforts to be for naught.

"Yes, we are in some kind of a relationship that at first is only an act, but I fell in love with her in the process. We had a fallout for I thought she is having an affair with Sean and you, Ethan. I didn't know your real relation with her, I just assumed the worse for what I have witnessed and some other proof."

"What proof and what did you saw?" Ethan asked with clenched fist.

"Somebody took a picture of her going in and out of a room which Sean entered and left as well at a charity ball that we attended."

"That is how I came to know. She asked me to pretend that I do not know her in exchange that she will tell me everything." Sean explained which everyone accepted.

"I also saw you two hugging each other weeks ago infront of this local diner." Lucas continued.

"So you just assumed that we are having a romantic relationship?" Ethan asked again which he answered in all honesty.

"Yes, since you have different surnames. Look, I am not here to speak in detail what had happened between me and Claire. I just wanted to talk to her to clear up everything." He said with impatience which Alessa answered right away.

"As what I have said awhile ago, Claire is not here Lucas. I thought that she is with you this whole time. And if ever she will go somewhere, she will inform me and if not, Penny will know." At her statement, Zach stood up and called someone. Based on his conversation, he is talking to Penny. When he ended the call, he felt a foreboding of something for Penny said that Claire is not with her as well. It was Alessa's turn to call and decided to phone the store and ask Beatriz of Claire's whereabouts who also answered negatively, Claire is not back yet for how many weeks.

He thought that Claire's unknown location is the end of it all, but Alessa's revelation top it all.

"I don't want to think the worse of this situation but I am really worried for her especially with her condition."

"What condition mom?" One of the brothers asked, but instead of answering whoever inquired, Alessa turned to him and said in all seriousness.

"Lucas, Claire is carrying your child."

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Where are you Claire? Do you think that whoever is sending her the letters before already made his move? Or Claire just simply doesn't want to be bothered by everyone?

Thank you for reading!

-blue