With a 'ding', the elevator door opened. Claire hastened out, her deep brown long hair messily strewn over her shoulders. Her delicate pale face was filled with panic and fear, and if you looked closely, you would see that her shirt was torn at the bottom, revealing a small portion of her fair skin.
She kept her head lowered and hurriedly walked towards the hotel entrance with her bag in hand. Abruptly, she bumped into a man with a broad chest.
Claire panicked even more. As she slightly lifted her eyes, a white shirt came into view. Her small face was right up against the buttons, and the unique scent of a man wafted over.
"Claire? What are you doing here?" Robert helped to steady Claire's unbalanced body, his gaze examining her pale face and the clothes that could no longer hide her skin.
Hearing Robert's concerned voice, Claire promptly looked up. Robert's handsome features came into view and she blinked, coming back to her senses.
"I...." Claire stuttered, unsure of what she should say.
Should she admit that although she had intended to get Robert drunk and take advantage of him last night, she unwittingly entered the wrong room and was swept off her feet by Robert's elder brother, James, instead? She was stuck in a dilemma.
The thought of waking up this morning to see James's handsome face, not at all inferior to Robert's, the only thought in her mind was to escape!
Robert looked at Claire's troubled expression, his brows lightly furrowed. This smart-mouthed girl seemed to have completely changed today.
Claire lowered her head, her hand nervously fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. Her lower lip bit tightly, pondering over how to break the news.
With Robert's curious eyes lingering over her, Claire frowned, feeling as though she was about to admit to everything under his scrutinizing gaze.
Taking a deep breath, Claire suddenly raised her head. Her eyes flashed with determination, completely dismissing Robert's question. She grabbed his arm and pulled his tall figure away from the hotel. "Robert, I'm tired. Can you take me home?"
Robert looked towards Claire, even more puzzled. But, Claire would not answer his question, leaving him completely helpless.
Once they got into Robert's car, Claire fell silent, looking at the towering skyscrapers outside the window. Her head was still a bit fuzzy. She had drunk quite a bit last night to muster courage, and now, the strong scent of alcohol still clung to her body.
Glancing at her torn shirt, she bit her lip and turned to Robert, "Robert, let me go to your place to change clothes first. If my dad sees me like this, he'll have my head!"
Robert glanced at her, also agreeing with Claire's statement, and the car turned and headed in another direction.
Robert's house was not far from the city, and it took less than half an hour to get there. As Claire got off the car, a fluffy figure rushed into her arms before she had even stabilized, hugging her tightly.
"Sister Claire! Why haven't you come to see Mabel for so long! Mabel missed you a lot!" Mabel blinked her cute big eyes, and looked at Claire with a somewhat dissatisfied complainant gaze.
Claire chuckled and proactively held Mabel as she walked into the house, "Sister Claire was on a business trip some time ago and just returned yesterday. Isn't she already visiting Mabel as soon as she got back?"
"Really?" Mabel looked doubtfully at Claire, her tender little mouth puckered up, then she asked Robert who was walking behind them, "Uncle, is Sister Claire lying to me?"
Claire's face suddenly turned dark. Had her credibility already become negative in Mabel's mind?
"Of course, Sister Claire wouldn't lie to Mabel." Robert said indulgently, stepping up to hold Mabel into his arms.
"Isn't Anita here?" Claire pulled her hand out and glanced upstairs.
"She's out today and won't be back until later."
Anita is Robert's sister and has been good friends with Claire for many years.
Claire responded and went straight to Anita's room.
After closing the door, she immediately took out her phone and called Anita. It seemed like she was busy on the other side, and it took a while for the call to be answered.
"Anita! My plan has failed!" As soon as the call was connected, Claire immediately released the emotions she had been suppressing. God knows how hard it had been for her to keep calm in front of Robert just now!
It was so clear that she had been hinting at him so obviously, but Robert always showed no interest in her feelings, and she was obviously anxious!
So Anita gave her a suggestion, to take advantage of the leisure time when Robert finished his business in the hotel, to forcefully take him! To rightfully become Robert's woman!
But why did she end up in James's room!
Upon hearing the other party's hollers, Anita held her phone away, waiting until Claire calmed down before she brought the phone back to her ear. "You failed? I recall my brother didn’t come home last night. Didn't you guys make love?"
Upon hearing the phrase 'make love', Claire's anger flared. Waking this morning, her body was entirely drained, devoid of all strength, and the only resolve she had was to escape, which allowed her to run out of the suite.
Who said a woman's first time is the most wonderful?
She felt nothing but persistent pain!
"I did make love, but not with Robert, it was with James!" Claire gritted her teeth as she spoke, anger aflame within her chest.
Fearless as she always is, Claire was terrified of only one person. James!
Claire did not often interact with James. The occasional encounters were due to Anita’s relationship with Robert. The only impression Claire has of him was that he was deeply dangerous.
Thus, over the years, she refrained from having any involvement with him unless necessary.
"What? James, my eldest brother?" It was Anita’s turn to be stunned.
Anita had always supported Claire's relationship with Robert, but if it was James involved, she would absolutely object!
It’s known to all that, in New York City, James was an influential figure that no one dared to offend. His gloomy temper and indifferent nature pushed everyone, except for women who flattered him, to keep a safe distance.
"Yes, him!" Desperately wanting to cry, Claire wondered why such bad luck would happen to her. She only wanted a romantic night with the man she loved, how did she end up with the wrong one?
Anita massaged her temples, wailing silently for Claire. If her brother knew he was mistaken for someone else, he’d explode in rage!
"Where are you now? What are you planning to do about this?" Anita calmed down and asked seriously.
"I'm at your place. I ran into Robert when I left the hotel, then came here to change clothes," Claire helplessly replied, "What can I do? I just have to accept my bad luck and make sure to avoid James in the future!"
She might as well have been bitten by a dog last night!
Anita sighed, expressing deep sympathy for Claire.
After hanging up the phone, Claire picked a shirt and jeans from her closet to put on. Her body shape was comparable to Anita's, so the clothes fit just right.
Just as she walked downstairs, the sound of conversation from the living room reached her, causing Claire to stop in her tracks.
There's one voice she definitely wouldn't mistake, it was James!
But shouldn't he be sleeping in a hotel right now?
Why has he suddenly come to the Mansion?!
