Tempting Him to Lose Control

Chapter 70: Chapter 70: That Scumbag Is at It Again

Claire Kendall continued shamelessly, "As for all those wishes, I can make them come true for you right now. Especially the last one."

The moment she spoke, the small space fell silent.

After her teasing remark, Claire had expected him to shake his head in resignation like he always did, or perhaps call her "shameless."

Sometimes, when her teasing got to him, the tips of his ears would even turn red.

But now, the man seemed frozen, his face expressionless as he stared silently ahead.

The smile on Claire’s lips slowly faded. Sensing something was wrong, she quickly changed her tune.

"Since you don’t like my birthday gift, Dr. Warren, we can switch it for something else..."

She tested the waters cautiously.

"How about I bake you a birthday cake? Or is there somewhere you want to go? But if you’re asking me to buy you a building, well, this humble servant can’t manage that~"

"No need. I don’t like celebrating my birthday."

Claire paused for a moment, thinking he was just afraid of the hassle.

"Dr. Warren, it’s only once a year. We can just have a simple, small celebration..."

"I said, I don’t celebrate it."

He cut her off. His voice wasn’t loud, but it held an undeniable finality.

She could now clearly see his fingers slowly tightening on the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white.

Miles Warren was desperately suppressing his emotions. It wasn’t anger, but a deep, hidden pain.

Claire pressed her lips together and said no more. She leaned back into her seat quietly, turning her head to gaze out the window.

After Claire brought up his birthday, the atmosphere in the car became oppressive. Miles Warren had also clearly sped up.

Back at Regency Gardens, they were silent all the way from the parking garage to the elevator.

The elevator doors opened, and in the hallway, they each prepared to unlock their respective doors.

Claire thought for a moment, then mustered her courage and stepped forward to try and comfort him.

"Dr. Warren, if you’re unhappy, you can always talk to me..."

"Good night. Get some rest." The man cut her off, his voice soft. He finally added an explanation, "I’m fine. I just need to get my emotions in check."

The door to 501 closed, sealing them off in separate worlds.

Claire stood there, stunned for a moment. She wasn’t angry; more than anything, she was just confused.

Once inside 502, she took a shower and went out onto the balcony. It wasn’t enclosed, and the cool breeze felt pleasant against her skin.

Her phone rang. Surprisingly, it was a call from Louis Warren.

"Young lady, I saw Moonstone’s opening ceremony on the news. It looked quite impressive. This old man couldn’t make it, you’re not upset with me, are you?"

Claire was flattered. "How could I be? Receiving the plaque you personally inscribed was already a tremendous honor."

It was because of that plaque that so many reporters had shown up today. She couldn’t be more grateful.

"Haha, that’s good..." Louis Warren laughed dryly. "Claire, there’s actually something I’d like to ask of you."

"Please, go ahead."

The other end of the line went silent as he seemed to choose his words carefully.

"The day after tomorrow is Miles’s birthday. I want you to persuade him to come home to celebrate, to have a family dinner with us."

Claire immediately recalled their unpleasant conversation in the car.

"Warren, it seems Miles Warren is very opposed to celebrating his birthday?"

"You brought it up with him?"

"Yes."

After a long pause, Louis Warren’s voice slowly came through.

"Of course he’s unwilling to celebrate it."

"Miles was frail since he was a child. I was busy with business and couldn’t look after him. His mother... she was on her way to Viridell Temple to pray for blessed prayer beads for him when she got into a car accident, and she..."

His birthday was the anniversary of his mother’s death.

No one would ever want to celebrate a birthday like that.

A tight, panicked feeling constricted Claire’s chest.

"Young lady, you’re the first person Miles has ever been willing to bring to the Warren family home. I’m sure he trusts you a great deal."

Louis Warren’s voice rose slightly, unconsciously.

"Claire, as long as you can get Miles to come home for his birthday, you won’t have to worry about Moonstone’s future. Anything you want, you can have."

Claire replied distractedly, "Okay, Warren. I understand."

The call ended. The night wind felt even colder now. Claire turned and left the balcony.

She didn’t see that the door to the balcony of 501 next door was open.

Miles Warren stood on his balcony in 501, a cigarette between his fingers, its glowing tip pulsing in the darkness.

He had heard every single word of the conversation from the adjacent balcony.

’As long as you can get Miles to come home for his birthday, anything you want, you can have.’ ’Okay, I understand.’

’Claire Kendall, how could you agree so readily?’

’Even after finding out the real reason he despises his birthday, you could still agree without a moment’s hesitation.’

’For money, for connections... for everything she wants.’

’Everything she wants... just doesn’t include him.’

A self-deprecating smile touched the corner of his lips.

’Miles Warren, what exactly were you expecting?’

A notification from WhatsApp chimed. He opened his phone and, just as he expected, it was a message from Claire Kendall.

[I’m sorry, Dr. Warren. I was too forward today. I’d like to ask you to dinner tomorrow, okay?]

Miles Warren gripped his phone tightly.

’Claire Kendall, are you that desperate? So desperate you can’t wait even a moment?’

He turned off his phone screen without replying.

The next morning, as Claire was leaving for work at Moonstone, she ran into a neatly dressed Miles Warren.

"Dr. Warren!" Claire said, pleasantly surprised. She jogged to catch up, her voice sweet and soft. "You didn’t reply to my message last night. Were you too tired?"

"Do you want to have dinner tonight? There’s actually something I wanted to talk to you about."

Before she could step into the elevator, Miles Warren pressed the "close door" button.

"No, I have surgery tonight."

"Hey, Dr. Warren, wait for me!" Just as the elevator doors were about to close, Claire rushed forward and stuck her hand out to block them.

Miles Warren instinctively stepped forward to hold the door open. Once he was sure she was inside, he discreetly pulled his hand back.

"Thanks, Dr. Warren." Claire blinked, not giving up. "What about tomorrow, then? We could have dinner tomorrow!"

"I have surgery tomorrow, too."

Miles Warren refused without a second thought, his voice growing colder.

’The day after tomorrow is his birthday—the deadline for Claire to complete his grandfather’s task. She must be getting anxious now.’

"Dr. Warren, wait for me! You can just drop me off at the subway station."

He stopped walking and turned around. His eyes were like a deep pool of water, calm and without a single ripple. "Sorry, Ms. Kendall, it’s not on my way."

’Not on his way? Ms. Kendall?’

He had never called her that before.

’Is he still upset because I brought up his ’birthday’?’

The cold, distant way he was acting... it was like he was treating a stranger. No, an enemy.

Claire lowered her head, a knot of discomfort in her stomach. ’What’s gotten into this jerk now?’

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