Was She Reading Too Much Into It?

They really hadn't fought.

It was just that Claire Bennett had given him something another man didn't want, and that pissed him off.

Julian didn't say more and headed straight upstairs, but Ruby was still worried and hurried after him.

She saw Julian go into the wine room, open a bottle of hard liquor, then sit at the bar and start pouring himself drink after drink.

Ruby narrowed her eyes.

This was what he called not fighting? The hell—he might as well have written it right on his face that he and Claire Bennett were fighting and that he was in a terrible mood.

Ruby knew Julian's temperament. He was closed off as hell; there was no way she was going to get anything out of him.

Then there was only...

With that thought, she quietly backed out and then dialed Claire Bennett's number.

...

At this time, Claire Bennett had just finished showering.

After coming out earlier, she had discovered that Julian Sterling was indeed gone. She sent him a message, but he didn't reply, so she could only get herself ready for bed.

She hadn't expected that the moment she lay down, she'd get a call from Ruby Sterling.

Ruby got straight to the point and asked, "Claire, did you and Julian Sterling get into a fight?"

"No." Claire Bennett paused, then added, "Well, I guess it does count as a fight. I did something bad."

Claire Bennett had no idea that on the other end of the line, Ruby Sterling was practically about to cough up blood.

She blurted out "holy shit" several times in a row!

Only then did she barely force down the panic in her heart and hurriedly press, "You, y-you... what did you do?"

Could it be that Claire Bennett and Sean Shaw, this old white-moonlight love of hers, had rekindled their romance, and then in a blaze of old passion, all sweet and lovey-dovey, ended up in bed together?!

Oh my God!

At the thought of that possibility, Ruby felt like the sky was falling.

After a pause, she finally managed to ask with difficulty, "You didn't... do something unspeakable with Sean Shaw, did you?

Claire Bennett frowned in confusion. What did she mean, do something unspeakable with Sean Shaw?

Was she reading too much into it?

Maybe Ruby was just emotional and that's why she'd used such an inappropriate description? But she really had secretly plotted a surprise with Sean Shaw behind Julian Sterling's back.

It was just that the surprise didn't seem to have gone very well.

Claire Bennett let out a heavy sigh and said, "Sean Shaw and I planned a surprise for Julian Sterling behind his back, but it didn't turn out the way we hoped."

Ruby Sterling: "...!!!"

What had she just heard? A surprise? Was that a surprise? That was basically a heart attack, okay!

In an instant, Ruby felt like she'd been struck by five bolts of lightning. She was completely wrecked!

Claire Bennett only heard a sharp intake of breath and had no idea that Ruby Sterling's brain had already crashed on the other end of the phone.

She continued, "Now he's angry and ran out, and I don't know where he went. I sent him a message earlier, but he hasn't replied."

After she finished speaking, Ruby Sterling didn't say anything for quite a while.

Claire Bennett thought the signal might be bad, and asked in confusion, "Ruby, are you still there? Why aren't you saying anything?"

After a long moment, Ruby finally let out a weak sigh. "Wuwuwu... it's all gone, everything's gone!!!"

Her little nephew, her sister-in-law—overnight, they had all turned into bubbles.

"What's gone?" Claire Bennett felt like she and Ruby just weren't on the same wavelength tonight. She couldn't understand what Ruby was saying at all.

Before Claire Bennett could finish being confused, she heard Ruby say earnestly, "Claire, as your good sister, all I can do is give you my blessing. I wish you happiness!"

A forcibly twisted melon isn't sweet; her brother and Claire Bennett just weren't meant to be.

Ruby said pitifully, "My brother got his heart broken. I'm going to keep him company until we're both dead drunk!"