Chapter 55
Engagement Countdown
At this point, Ruby Sterling ground her teeth unwillingly. "I looked into that woman. She's nothing but a nouveau riche upstart, nowhere near the Sterling family. Chase Monroe must be blind! One day he's going to regret it!"
Ruby gave a light snort. "Starting today, I'm done hiding it. I'm going home to reclaim my status as the heiress!"
Hearing Ruby say that, Claire Bennett let out a helpless sigh, feeling deeply sorry for her.
The two of them really were in the same boat. She hadn't expected them to run into the exact same kind of thing.
But their endings were different. Ruby could still go home and take back her place as the family's eldest miss, while Claire no longer had any home to return to.
In the end, she was the one who had it worse.
Claire gave a bitter smile, but still spoke to comfort her. "Ruby, don't be sad. You'll find a better man in the future."
"Are three-legged men that hard to find? Don't worry about me. Come on, I booked a private designer. She has tons of stunning gowns there. She'll definitely make you show up to their engagement party looking radiant."
Compared with her own situation, Ruby seemed to care more about Claire's.
Especially since her brother had called today to remind her about it. Otherwise she would have forgotten all about this. The second she got her orders, she immediately dragged Claire out to get ready for battle.
Claire's brows drew together slightly.
"Ruby, Julian Sterling went away on a business trip. He won't end up not making it back in time, will he?"
Julian hadn't contacted her lately, and it made Claire a little uneasy.
She also thought of seeing him eating with another woman that day, and a sharp pain suddenly pierced her heart. Her mood instantly sank.
She had wanted to ask Ruby about Julian, but after thinking it over, Claire felt there was no need to ask.
What if it really was his girlfriend?
Then what was she supposed to do?
For some reason, fearless as she had always been, she was acting like an ostrich now, as if not asking meant she could pretend she didn't know, like covering her ears while stealing a bell.
All of a sudden, Claire found herself a little ridiculous.
Why did she care so much about that man? He was only a tool she was using to slap Ethan Sterling in the face. Was it just because he'd been pretty good to her?
He had never said anything, never given her any promises. It was only that she herself had started to feel something.
"Don't worry. He'll definitely make it back!" Ruby answered with certainty.
Claire came back to herself and looked at Ruby in confusion. "How do you know for sure he'll be back?"
"Of course I know, because he..." Ruby hurriedly shut her mouth, almost letting it slip.
Julian Sterling had said he'd come back after dealing with the old man's situation. How could she not know?
And he had also said that for now, Claire couldn't appear in front of the old man. They had to settle Ethan Sterling's matter first, so Ruby still couldn't tell Claire about Julian's situation.
Ruby immediately changed the subject and reassured her, "Oh, don't worry. He signed an agreement with you, right? He's a man of integrity. He'll definitely come back."
Ruby took Claire to the designer's studio.
This studio, called Vivian Yu Styling, was an internationally acclaimed styling studio, and the dresses its designer created were one of a kind as well.
A sales associate greeted the two of them warmly.
The designer brought out several exquisitely beautiful, elaborate couture gowns and introduced them with a smile. "Miss Sterling, Miss Bennett, these are all gowns carefully designed for the current season. See if there's anything you like."
Although Claire had already been a poor girl for several years, the eye and taste she had developed from childhood were still there. At a glance, she could tell that the crushed diamonds on this dress were worth a fortune, and with that distinctive design, it wasn't hard to imagine how stunning it would look when worn.
Ruby set her eyes on a floor-length lake-blue gown and directly stuffed it into Claire's hands. "Go try it on."
Claire could only hold the dress helplessly and go into the fitting room to change.
When she came out, Ruby immediately parted her lips and couldn't help crying out, "Wow!" Her eyes were full of amazement.
The gown Claire was wearing suited her perfectly.
It was the kind of look that made people unable to take their eyes off her the moment she appeared!
Actually, Claire had been the school beauty back in college, but she had always dressed simply and never dolled herself up. Her perfect figure had been completely hidden under ordinary clothes. Now, with just a little styling, her beauty was brought out.
The gown was a body-hugging design, with a slit reaching all the way to the top of her thigh, making Claire's legs look long and straight. The back was largely exposed as well, putting her perfect shoulder blades on display, and under the lights her skin was so fair it seemed to glow.
Wearing a gown like this, Claire did not appear overly stiff or uncomfortable. Instead, she was poised and graceful, carrying herself with composure. After all, it wasn't as if she had never worn clothes like this to important events before, so she adjusted very quickly.
"Claire, hurry and let the makeup artist do your makeup."
Ruby pressed Claire down into a chair, and a professional makeup artist stepped forward with her kit and began doing Claire's makeup.
During that time, Ruby pulled out her phone to report the situation to Julian.
She even secretly snapped a photo of Claire and sent it over.
"Bro, my sister-in-law is so beautiful!"
At that moment, far away in New York, Julian Sterling received Ruby's message.
His deep eyes fell on the phone. In the photo, Claire was sitting in front of the mirror. Her full makeup was done, her features delicate, and she looked breathtakingly beautiful.
In the end, Julian Sterling's gaze settled on the gown she was wearing. Her silky hair draped softly down her straight back, and her snowy-white skin showed through faintly, carrying a kind of half-hidden, half-revealed sensuality.