Chapter 161
The Secret to Becoming Design Director
It started because they'd heard a restaurant nearby was pretty good, so they dragged Julian Sterling along to check it out and see whether there was anything they could learn from and use in Sterling Group's restaurant business.
They never expected to run into such a shocking scene.
If they'd known, the two of them should've just gone by themselves.
Claire Bennett and Sean Shaw put him off for quite a while, but in the end they still couldn't resist his persuasion and accepted the gemstone.
She could keep the gemstone, make a design with it, and give the finished piece to her aunt.
The day passed quickly, and right at quitting time, Julian Sterling showed up downstairs at the company on the dot to pick Claire Bennett up from work.
Claire Bennett hurried downstairs, unable to wait.
Behind the glass window upstairs, Willow Lane watched Claire Bennett's figure, a look of contempt surfacing in her eyes.
At noon she met one man, and at night she was meeting another one.
Claire Bennett really was a master of time management, like some social butterfly. Was this the secret that got her into Sterling International and made her design director?
The shopping bag was large, and Claire Bennett wasn't trying to hide it. She opened the rear car door to put the stuff in before returning to the front passenger seat and sitting down.
Julian Sterling caught sight of the bags in the back and let out a cold snort inwardly.
After Claire Bennett sat down, she considered her words for a moment, then said, "I bought the outfit you tried on yesterday. It's for you."
For him?
More like she was dumping on him something Sean Shaw didn't want!
Claire Bennett sure had some nerve, thinking he knew nothing and treating him like a trash can that specialized in taking in unwanted garbage?
Julian Sterling pressed his lips together tightly and, without saying a word, started the car and drove off.
On the way, Claire Bennett keenly sensed that the atmosphere in the car was a little different, and she carefully glanced at Julian Sterling.
His profile was handsome, but a little tense. He was obviously unhappy.
Why wasn't Julian Sterling as happy as she'd imagined after she gave him a gift? What exactly had gone wrong? It looked like she'd have to ask Sean Shaw.
After they got back to Parkview Heights and parked the car, Julian Sterling didn't wait for Claire Bennett and went straight upstairs.
His strides were large, and there was a faint chill in his back.
Claire Bennett carried the things behind him and hurried after him, panting. "Julian Sterling, wait for me."
The two of them finally returned to the apartment.
Julian Sterling turned and went into the study, shutting the door with a bang.
Claire Bennett stared blankly at the tightly closed door, her brows knitting together as she stood there stunned for quite a while.
Julian Sterling really was angry. It had been very obvious from the way he'd been acting just now.
Could it be that he didn't like this menswear brand?
Ugh! A man's heart was like a needle at the bottom of the sea; it was just too hard to figure out.
Claire Bennett took her phone into the bedroom, planning to call Sean Shaw and ask him about it.
...
Inside the study.
Julian Sterling was in an extremely bad mood.
Anyone who found out they were actually someone else's backup would be in no great mood.
Even though he wasn't happy, he had no right to question Claire Bennett. After all, she had never promised him anything, and their marriage had only been an accident.
Maybe in Claire Bennett's heart, he would never measure up to Sean Shaw.
He leaned his tall body back into the sofa, his face dark, his whole presence cold and heavy.
Actually, he could simply take her by force; snatching her away from Sean Shaw wouldn't be difficult at all. But what he wanted was a woman who came willingly.
Then on second thought, the conflict between Claire Bennett and Sean Shaw was happening to be his opportunity.
He wasn't the type to give up so easily.
After working through the emotions in his heart, Julian Sterling opened the door and walked out.
Claire Bennett wasn't in the living room. Her faint voice could be heard from the bedroom, as though she were on the phone with someone.
He started walking over, only to hear Claire Bennett's voice coming from inside the room...
"Sean, next time I'll give you a new one. When that time comes, you can't refuse again."
Julian Sterling's body stopped short, and his steps halted as well. He didn't continue forward.
Claire Bennett's voice was clear. She was on the phone with Sean Shaw.
"Heh..." Julian Sterling let out a mocking laugh.
What was he thinking!
Claire Bennett had given something to Sean Shaw, Sean Shaw hadn't liked it, and she'd only casually passed it on to him. There was no other meaning to it at all. What right did he have to be angry?
After taking a deep breath, Julian Sterling turned and left the apartment.
At that moment, Claire Bennett, still on the phone, heard the sound of the door closing. She looked outside suspiciously and muttered to herself, "Did Julian Sterling go out?"
She said to Sean Shaw on the other end of the phone, "All right, then it's settled. Another day I'll turn that gemstone into a design and give it back to Auntie, and then you can pass it to her for me."
"Got it."
Sean Shaw paused, then said, "Claire, you said just now that you gave Julian Sterling a surprise, but instead of being happy at all, he got angry. I think I might know why!"
"Why?"
Sean Shaw's tone was extremely certain. "It must be because what you gave him wasn't expensive enough!"
"Huh?" Claire Bennett looked completely baffled. She said, "But the price of a single piece from that menswear brand isn't low. It cost me more than half my salary."
Sean Shaw gave a light cough. "Think about Julian Sterling's status. What good things hasn't he seen? Do you think he'd think much of what little you gave him?"
After hearing that, Claire Bennett suddenly understood.
Even though Julian Sterling was only an assistant who also drove for Mr. Sterling, he came into contact with plenty of things in his daily life, so his standards had probably risen too.
So that was it: the menswear she gave him wasn't valuable enough, which was why Julian Sterling hadn't even glanced at it. She hadn't expected her plan to fall through just like that. What a pity!