We Can Keep It Secret

"Ahem, here's the thing, I... I..."

Claire Bennett's face flushed red. The words were on the tip of her tongue, yet she just couldn't force them out. She was actually scared.

Scared of seeing Julian Sterling angry, scared of seeing disgust in his eyes.

The dreams she'd had these past few days had felt so real that every time she jolted awake, all that remained was endless melancholy.

Julian Sterling's eyes darkened slightly, a shadow appearing in them.

Claire Bennett didn't need to say anything; he already knew she was hesitating, or perhaps that she didn't want to agree to his request to date.

But no matter what, he had already decided it had to be Claire Bennett.

At that moment, Claire Bennett finally forced the words out. "I don't think we're really right for dating after all!"

After saying it, she felt unbearable pain in her heart. She didn't even dare look at Julian Sterling one more time. If she could, she wanted to dig a hole and bury herself in it.

Seeing Claire Bennett looking defeated, as though she were painfully giving up something important, Julian Sterling was not angry after all.

He said softly, "Because the new product launch is about to start and you're busy with work, so you don't want a relationship to affect your job?"

"..." That excuse was absurdly reasonable.

Ah! No, wait!

Claire Bennett gave a light cough and said, "No, because I..."

But when the words reached her lips, she still couldn't say them. Claire Bennett pressed a hand to her forehead, feeling awful all over.

She just couldn't say it!

Julian Sterling looked at Claire Bennett with a heavy gaze, then said, "If that's your concern, we can keep our relationship secret."

"If you don't want things to move too fast, you can keep living at Sean Shaw's place. I won't force you to do anything."

After saying that, Julian Sterling looked at Claire Bennett gently. "So is there any other problem now?"

Claire Bennett looked at his handsome face and instantly became entranced.

Before she even realized what she was doing, she had already shaken her head.

Julian Sterling curled his lips slightly. "Since there's no problem, then it's settled."

Then he picked up the menu on the table and asked, "Are you full? Do you want to order a few more dishes?"

He had just noticed that Claire Bennett hadn't eaten much.

Claire Bennett's mind slowly returned, and her eyes suddenly widened.

Wait! What had happened just now while she was zoning out?

What did he mean, it's settled like that? What exactly had she settled with Julian Sterling?

It seemed like she hadn't said anything at all!!

Claire Bennett panicked and hurried to explain. "No, Julian Sterling, listen to me..."

Before she could finish, Julian Sterling interrupted her.

He leaned forward slightly, and his tall body instantly enveloped Claire Bennett. Then he said slowly in a deep voice, "Claire, even though it's only been three days, I've already waited far too long. So I wouldn't affect you, I haven't bothered you at all these past few days..."

After a pause, Julian Sterling continued, "If you have concerns, then from now on I'll use my actions to get rid of the concerns in your heart."

After learning that Claire Bennett was the Bennett family's daughter, Julian Sterling felt that perhaps the Bennett family's affairs had affected her; she would not easily hand her feelings over to someone else.

It would not be easy to enter her heart.

But from now on, he would make her trust him with her whole heart.

So for every trouble she was hesitating over, he had already thought through solutions for her.

"..." Claire Bennett didn't know what to say.

She felt that she was just too cowardly. Seeing Julian Sterling looking so deeply affectionate, she was unexpectedly moved, and all of a sudden she didn't really want to let go.

Julian Sterling kept his eyes on Claire Bennett and continued, "You don't need to feel pressured either. I know it may not be easy for you to open your heart, but I'm willing to wait, as long as you don't reject me."

Hearing that, Claire Bennett found it even harder to say the words of rejection.

But Julian Sterling had gotten one thing wrong. She had already opened her heart to him long ago, so where had he gotten that mistaken impression?

The reason she was hesitating now was entirely because of that matter...

Suddenly, a voice arose in Claire Bennett's heart.

Don't say it. Swallow this whole thing and let it stay a secret forever. Anyway, this is already the twenty-first century; premarital sex isn't that big a deal.

But she still had to investigate the owner of Kinley Estate clearly. She couldn't just let him get away with it for nothing!

A firm, resolute look appeared in Claire Bennett's eyes.

After thinking it through, she felt suddenly enlightened, as though a weight had lifted from her whole body. There was no resistance left in her heart. She reached out and tightly held Julian Sterling's hand.

Her fair, slender hand wrapped around the man's large, well-defined hand. That was her answer.

After the meal, Julian Sterling drove her back to the detached house.

He had said Claire Bennett could keep staying at Sean Shaw's place, and he had not forced her to go back with him. He kept his word.

Claire Bennett felt relieved.

Right now, she still might not be able to face Julian Sterling. In the places hidden beneath her clothes, there were still faint lingering traces of intimacy.

If she kept living with Julian Sterling, he would probably see them.

He was just too good, so good that she'd rather bear tremendous psychological pressure than tear things apart with him.

Let her indulge in this bit of happiness for a while. When the time came, even if they had to separate, she would die without regrets!