After leaving the Bennett family estate, Claire returned to Calvin's private villa.

Whenever he didn't stay at the family estate, Calvin lived here. Under George's arrangement, Claire had moved in three months ago to give them a chance to grow closer.

But three months had passed, and she had barely seen him.

No sooner had Claire returned than Calvin arrived—this time with Iris.

He explained that Iris's residence had caught fire and she had nowhere else to go, so she would be staying temporarily.

Claire ignored them both and went to the garden to feed the two black swans in the pond.

She had raised them herself. Calvin disliked pets, so she had no choice but to keep these two black swans in the yard. As she contemplated how she would take them with her when she left, a mocking voice drifted from behind.

"Claire, still awake feeding swans at this hour? Such leisure, huh?"

Her hand froze mid-feed. Claire turned and saw Iris.

She had changed into matching couple pajamas like Calvin's, the sash loosely tied, arching an eyebrow at her with the self-assured air of a lady of the house.

Claire squinted, noticing the marks on her skin—kisses tracing from her chest to her neck.

"You're not asleep either."

"Nope, just finished being busy with Calvin, so I came out to rest." Iris stepped closer, smiling. "Claire, you saw everything at the engagement party today, didn't you?"

Claire's brow furrowed, her expression darkening.

"What are you trying to say?"

"Nothing. It's just… Calvin doesn't seem to like you very much. And yet, you're going to marry him? Aren't you afraid of ending up a lonely wife?"

Looking at Iris's innocent but infuriating smile, Claire felt an immediate wave of regret. She shouldn't have taken in this half-sister after their parents died, soft-heartedly giving her a home when she had nowhere else to go.

She had thought Iris was just a sweet, naive girl. She hadn't realized how wrong she was.

"So I won't marry him. You want him instead?"

Iris's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Even if I agreed to it, the Bennett family would never approve of you marrying in. Who do you think you are? Just an illegitimate daughter!"

Claire didn't want to waste words. She turned to leave, but Iris called after her.

"Claire, don't get too cocky! Look at this!"

Claire froze. Iris held the emerald pendant.

It had been left to her by her grandfather before he passed, a family heirloom passed down for generations. Her grandfather had told her to give it to Calvin on her wedding day. But she had given it to him the day she moved in, hoping it would protect him.

And now it was in Iris's hands.

Claire's face darkened. "Give it back!"

"I would, but Calvin said it would keep me safe, so he gave it to me. After all, it's also my grandfather's, so it's only fair I have it. Oh—my hand's numb…"

Before she could finish, Iris flung the pendant into the pond.

"Iris!"

Rage flared in Claire. She prepared to jump in after it, but before she could, a splash rang out—Iris had fallen into the water.

"Ah! Help! I can't swim! Claire, save me!"

"Iris!"

Calvin's voice rang behind her. Before Claire could react, he pushed her aside and dove into the water, rescuing Iris.

"Iris, are you okay?"

Iris clung to him, pitiful. "I'm fine, Calvin. Don't blame Claire. She didn't mean to push me. It's my fault—I dropped the pendant you gave me this morning, and Claire made me jump in to get it!"

She sobbed in a torrent, and Calvin's eyes turned icy as they swept over Claire.

"What were you thinking? You knew she couldn't swim and made her jump in! Were you trying to get her killed?"

Claire was still on the ground, her palm grazed and bleeding from Calvin's forceful push. The pain shot through her, but she slowly raised her eyes to him, full of disappointment.

"Calvin, that pendant was left to me by my grandfather. How could you give it to someone else?"

Calvin's gaze was cold. "Iris was hurt a few days ago, so I gave it to her. Besides, she isn't really an outsider. She's part of the Aniston family too."

Claire snorted. "An illegitimate daughter at that. If I hadn't acknowledged her, she wouldn't even deserve the Aniston name!"

"Claire, how can you be so cruel? Iris is your sister! And I'm an illegitimate son myself. If you despise illegitimate children, why marry me?"

A bitter laugh escaped Claire as she struggled to her feet. "What if I told you I don't want to marry you anymore? As you wish—we can cancel the engagement."

"Don't try that on me. Playing hard to get won't work. I agreed to marry you, and I will. But apart from the wedding, I can give you nothing else. You chose me only because I'm the most capable of the Bennett family, didn't you?"

"The most capable?" Claire almost laughed.

He didn't realize that everything he had—his position, his power—was because of her. Without Claire, George would never have paid him a second glance.

"I hope, seven days from now, you can still say that."

With that, she turned and left without looking back.

Watching her retreating figure, Calvin frowned. She had refused to cancel the engagement so many times before—what had changed today?

"Calvin, Claire says she wants to cancel the engagement… could it be true? Should I have never moved in? It's all my fault. If I weren't an illegitimate daughter, I could be openly with you. I've never expected anything in return—I just wanted to stay by your side."

"Please," Calvin scoffed, pulling her closer. "If she actually goes through with it, I wouldn't complain. But I know her better than that—she won't. Don't worry about it. I've told you, I won't let you down."

From the hallway, Claire heard every word, but she only shook her head in bitter silence. All those years… she'd been loving the wrong man.

After returning to her room, Claire couldn't sleep. The sounds from the next room—Iris's unrestrained moans—kept her awake all night.

She had no idea Calvin was capable of such intensity. Even when she had tried everything she could, he had never touched her.

The next morning, Claire washed up and went downstairs. She saw Calvin in the kitchen, apron on, cooking. Iris hovered by his side, feeding him oranges and wiping his sweat.

Watching them, her chest ached without warning.

Since moving in, Claire had prepared every meal for him. Calvin could cook, yet on her birthday, he hadn't even served her something simple. But for Iris, his obsessive cleanliness apparently didn't matter—he was willing to cook.

Claire lingered at the top of the stairs, frozen, until her phone rang.

"Grandpa George," she answered.

"Claire, with the wedding approaching, I'll transfer some money to you so you can buy anything you need for the wedding."

"But I only want to buy a wedding dress…"

Before she could finish, her phone pinged again.

"Ten million dollars has been deposited into your account."

Claire froze. She hadn't expected George to be so generous.

"Thank you, Grandpa George," she said, hanging up.

She prepared to leave the villa.

"Claire, Calvin made breakfast. Want to eat together?" Iris saw her and smiled, inviting her.

Calvin's voice was cold. "If you want to eat, come sit."

Claire ignored them and stepped out.

At the bridal shop, she began searching for a dress she liked. Just as she picked out one that seemed suitable, she ran into Calvin, Iris, and his group of friends.

Calvin's face darkened at the sight of her.

"What are you doing here?"

Before Claire could answer, his friends started chattering.

"Calvin, didn't Claire say she wanted to cancel the engagement? Why is she here picking out a wedding dress?"

"Do you really believe what she says? She's been after Calvin for years. She's finally getting married—there's no way she'd cancel now."

"Maybe she's here secretly because she knew you'd be taking wedding photos with Iris today."

Claire suddenly understood. Calvin was accompanying Iris for wedding photos.

She almost laughed.

A month before the wedding, she had begged Calvin to take a wedding photo session with her—but he refused, mocking her. He had said if she wanted photos, she should Photoshop them herself. He would never take them with her.

And now here he was, taking Iris for wedding photos.

"Claire, don't misunderstand. I've never taken wedding photos before. Calvin just said we should do it for a keepsake," Iris explained, taking Claire's hand. "Don't worry, Claire, I won't ruin your wedding."

Her words were humble, but Calvin pulled her into his arms.

"No need to ask her. I promised you: I'll only ever take wedding photos with you. Even if I marry her, I won't take a single photo with her."

His words stabbed Claire like a knife to the heart.

She should have hurt. Instead, she lowered her head and smiled.

"You two can take as many photos as you want. It has nothing to do with me."

She turned to a shop assistant. "I'll take this dress. Wrap it up for me."

"Calvin, what if I like this dress too?" Iris asked.

Without hesitation, Calvin handed a card to the clerk. "Charge it."

"Calvin, I saw it first!" Claire frowned, her face darkening. Why did Iris have to snatch everything she liked? Even the wedding dress?

"Claire, are you deliberately making Iris unhappy? I've already said I'll marry you. Iris just wants some wedding photos—isn't that enough?"

"She can take all the photos she wants. Calvin, I'll say it again: I won't marry you!"

"Really?"

Iris could hardly believe it.

Claire sneered. "Yes. I'll let you have your match—illegitimate son and illegitimate daughter, you're both made for each other."

"You! Shut up!" Calvin raised his hand, aiming for a slap.

Claire's gaze froze, icy. "Go ahead. If you have the guts, hit me."

"I don't hit women," he said.

"Really? You missed your chance today. Hope you don't regret it."

With that, Claire turned and walked away, leaving everyone speechless.

"Was she serious?"

"Of course not. Otherwise, why come here to pick a wedding dress? She still wants to marry Calvin."

"Calvin, shouldn't you call to check?"

Calvin frowned and called the family estate. The butler answered.

"Gregory, is the engagement between the Bennett and Aniston families still on?"

"Yes, Sir. Of course, it's on. Your grandfather has arranged everything. All that's left is bringing Miss Aniston here on the day."

"Hmph." Calvin hung up. "Just as I thought. She lied. She's loved me for so many years… Now that she's finally about to marry me, there's no way she'd cancel the engagement."

Iris clung to him. "It's okay, Calvin. I'm happy to take the photos. Nothing else matters."

"Let's finish these photos quickly, before Claire comes back and causes trouble."

His friends urged them on. It took the entire day to finish all the shots.

Claire went to another shop and picked out a wedding dress she somewhat liked.

The first thing she did upon returning to the villa was pack her luggage.

Once she finished, she noticed a post from Calvin's friend on social media.

[Congratulations to the happy couple.]

The post was a nine-grid collage of Calvin and Iris's wedding photos—three different outfits, three different scenes.

The constant, however, was Calvin's smile and the way he looked at Iris. After all these years, Claire had never seen that expression directed at her.

She silently tapped "like." Then, after storing her suitcase, she went to a real estate office.

Since she was moving out of the villa, she needed a new place to prepare as a bridal home. Her mother had always said she wanted to see her get married with her own eyes.

Claire fell in love with a fully furnished apartment that had a garden—and a pond, perfect for her two black swans. She swiped her card and bought it, then stopped by a mall to pick up some decorations for the wedding suite.

She spent the entire night arranging everything by herself until the bridal home was finally complete.

When she finished, she placed a photo of her mother on the cabinet.

"Mom, don't worry about me. I'll be happy, I promise."

The next morning, Claire returned to the villa. She was lucky—Calvin and Iris weren't there.

She went to the yard, had the two swans taken away, and ordered the servants to drain the pond.

"Miss, wasn't this pond built at your request? You even said one swan for you, one for Sir…"

"Drain it," Claire said calmly. "My pendant fell in. I need to find it."

It took five hours for the pump to empty the small pond. Claire recovered her grandfather's emerald pendant, wiped it clean, and left with her luggage.

The servants panicked when they saw her leaving.

"Miss Aniston, where are you going? In a few days, you're supposed to marry Sir! Why are you suddenly leaving?"

"I'm not marrying Calvin," she said, walking away without looking back.

She moved into the apartment she had bought, staring at the fully decorated wedding suite with a hollow feeling in her chest. She was about to go to the supermarket to stock the fridge when the doorbell rang incessantly.

Claire opened the door to find a scowling Calvin, a teary-eyed Iris, and a few of his smug friends crowding the hallway.

She frowned. "What are you all doing here?"

"See, Calvin? We were right!" one friend jeered. "She really did buy a secret bridal home. She wants to get married from here!"

"And she's already decorated it!" another chimed in. "And she says she won't marry you? What a load of crap!"

"Bet she disappeared these last few days just to make you come crawling to pick her up on the wedding day."

Calvin's friends looked Claire up and down, their scorn plain.

"Seriously, Calvin doesn't even like you. Marrying you is already doing you a favor. And you think you get to make some grand exit? Your demands are ridiculous."

It was true—Claire had considered it. With the Aniston family home gone, she had nowhere else. If she were to marry Calvin, she needed a wedding suite, a place to leave from.

But now, she'd only decorated this place so her late mother could see it.

Calvin's gaze swept the room, sharp and cold as ice.

"Did I give you permission to decorate? I told you not to touch a thing at home, and you went behind my back, moved out, and did all this?"

"Claire, you really didn't have to go this far," Iris spoke up, her eyes welling. "I thought you were really stepping aside for me, but you were just setting me up."

Their voices buzzed in Claire's ears, worsening her headache. "Get out. This is my house."

Calvin grabbed her wrist, his grip tight. "Claire, don't you feel pathetic? What's the point of all this? You think I'd actually come here to pick you up? I already told you—on the wedding day, you go alone. I'm not coming."

"Let go of me!" Claire wrenched her arm free, anger rising hot in her chest. "Calvin, you don't have the right to pick me up! The man I'm marrying isn't even you—"

"Still putting on an act?" he cut her off, voice dangerous. "Want me to smash every last thing in here?"

Claire's breath caught in panic. "Don't you dare, Calvin!"