Tempting Him to Lose Control

Chapter 84: Chapter 84: Showing Off a Hickey

Claire Kendall stopped in her tracks and turned around to see Ian Rhodes striding quickly toward her.

"Claire, where did you go? The auction ended, and I couldn’t find you anywhere."

She instinctively glanced at the black sedan parked nearby.

To her surprise, just then, Miles Warren lowered the car window, revealing his chiseled face.

Ian Rhodes saw him clearly.

His voice was laced with disappointment and a hint of hurt as he asked quietly, "Claire, is Dr. Warren taking you home?"

Claire Kendall nodded.

Ian Rhodes didn’t press the issue, taking a step back to advance. His voice was filled with hope. "It’s getting late, so you should head home and get some rest."

"It’s my mom’s birthday next week, and I’d like to invite you over for dinner. Would that be okay? My mom is always mentioning you. She says she really misses you."

Looking at his pure, innocent eyes, Claire Kendall didn’t have the heart to refuse and nodded.

She turned to get in the car but stopped when she saw Miles Warren. He had one arm draped over the open window frame while his other hand was unhurriedly undoing the top two buttons of his shirt.

His neck was now completely exposed.

The two fresh red marks on it were startlingly clear under the streetlight.

They were the hickeys Claire Kendall had just given him.

The man tilted his chin up slightly. With slow, deliberate movements, he casually rolled his neck, feigning nonchalance.

It was as if he were putting a pair of love bites on display for a grand tour.

His gaze swept coolly over the man before him, and his voice was cold and deep, dripping with possessiveness and provocation.

"Is there anything else, Ian?"

Ian’s eyes were glued to the hickey on Miles Warren’s neck. The light in his own eyes slowly died, and his expression grew darker by the second.

He gritted his teeth. "No, nothing. Thank you for your concern, Dr. Warren."

Claire Kendall’s cheeks burned crimson as she scrambled into the passenger seat.

She gritted her teeth. "Miles Warren, you did that on purpose."

"What?" the man replied, his tone light, casual, and utterly innocent. "The buttons were digging in. I was just loosening them to get some air."

「Regency Gardens.」

Claire Kendall sat in the passenger seat, clutching the brocade box that held the Republican-era qipao. Her fingertips gently stroked the satin surface, her eyes filled with unconcealed glee.

Miles Warren turned his head to look at her. Seeing her so happy, her eyes crinkled with joy, a smile unconsciously touched his lips.

’These two million were worth it.’

The elevator doors opened, and Miles Warren moved to unlock the door to 501.

He turned his head to see Claire Kendall keying in the passcode for 502. He spoke, his voice gentle.

"Do you want to stay over tonight?"

Claire Kendall looked up, meeting his earnest gaze. She froze for a moment before instinctively blurting out, "But... I’m on my period."

The hallway fell silent for a moment.

Miles Warren raised a hand and rubbed his forehead, a helpless, exasperated look in his eyes.

"Claire Kendall, that’s not what I meant."

"I was just worried you’d be in pain, so I wanted you to come over to my place."

Claire Kendall was practically drowning in embarrassment.

"I feel fine today, not uncomfortable at all. Good night." She unlocked her door and practically dove inside.

After changing out of the qipao and into some loungewear, Claire Kendall curled up on the sofa and scrolled through her phone.

A headline was glaring at her from the trending topics list. It had just appeared, and its popularity was skyrocketing.

"Sinclair Design Accused of Plagiarizing Foreign Designers, Faces Hefty Penalties."

She clicked on it and quickly scanned the article. The report was crystal clear, listing the original sources for eight of Sinclair’s product lines that were accused of plagiarism.

As soon as the scandal broke, Sinclair’s stock price plummeted. Things were not looking good.

Claire Kendall studied the detailed comparison photos. ’This is no ordinary netizen’s doing,’ she thought. ’This must be the work of a professional. Sinclair Design has really gotten itself into big trouble this time.’

She took a screenshot and sent it to Miles Warren.

He replied almost instantly.

"Leon Wright did it."

Claire Kendall’s fingertips hovered over the screen, her eyes wide with disbelief.

’That smiling, exceptionally gentle Leon Wright... capable of such a ruthless move? Claire couldn’t believe it.’

Miles Warren sent her a voice message.

"Leon Wright is a self-made man. You don’t get to his position in Aethel’s business circles by being some nobody. Yvonne Warren humiliated him to his face; of course he’s holding a grudge."

’This was more than a grudge. He was trying to run Sinclair Design into the ground.’

Claire Kendall replied.

"I’ll have to be more careful next time I see him."

"You have me. What are you afraid of?"

She asked hesitantly, "You’re not going to do anything about Yvonne’s situation?"

"Do what? She has her parents, and she has her fiancé, Jacob Sinclair. It’s not my place to interfere. Besides, it’s time she learned a lesson."

Hearing Miles Warren mention Jacob Sinclair’s name made Claire Kendall’s heart feel heavy.

’She didn’t know how to bring it up.’

As Claire Kendall mulled it over, she lay in bed and groggily drifted off to sleep.

「The next day」

Claire Kendall went to the hospital to visit her mother.

Shirley Kendall’s kidney transplant had been a complete success. There were no signs of rejection, she was recovering well, and she would be able to go home in a little while.

Claire Kendall put down the thermal flask, poured out a bowl of chicken soup for her mother, and had just sat down when the door to the room was slowly pushed open.

Jacob Sinclair stood in the doorway.

He wore a well-tailored suit, but his usually proud and roguish eyes were now clouded with an unconcealable exhaustion.

He held a gift basket in one hand and a bouquet of yellow roses in the other, his lips curved into a perfectly measured smile.

"Mrs. Kendall, I’m sorry. I’ve been swamped with work and haven’t been able to visit. Congratulations on your successful surgery."

The atmosphere in the room froze.

Overcome with emotion, Shirley Kendall flung the bowl of chicken soup directly at him.

Jacob Sinclair didn’t dodge. He even took two steps forward.

"Mrs. Kendall, I know I’ve done wrong and hurt Claire. I came today to accept my punishment."

As he spoke, his gaze never left Claire Kendall.

The woman was agitated, her face flushed red.

"Claire told me everything you did! Now take your filthy things and get out!"

He looked at Claire Kendall.

"Claire, let’s go outside and talk. Just for five minutes."

The man placed the gifts in the room but was still holding the bouquet of yellow roses as Claire Kendall dragged him out.

They didn’t stop until they reached the stairwell at the end of the hallway.

She let go of him, her gaze icy.

"Jacob Sinclair, what the hell are you trying to do?"

The man glanced down at the mess on his suit and gave a resigned smile.

He looked up, his gaze on Claire Kendall a mix of complex emotions.

Guilt, nostalgia, and a trace of restraint.

"Claire, I’m sorry."

Claire Kendall watched him, her expression blank. ’How laughable,’ she thought.

"Jacob Sinclair, Sinclair Design is caught up in a plagiarism scandal, your company is on the verge of collapse, and *now* you come to apologize to me? Aren’t you disgusted with yourself?"

The man shook his head. "Claire, that’s not what I meant."

"I regret it. I regret treating you that way."

He paused.

"It’s just... we built Sinclair Design from the ground up, the two of us. To see it destroyed just like this..."

He thrust the bouquet of yellow roses into Claire Kendall’s arms.

"Ten years of history. I remember everything you like, Claire. Can you really say you’ve moved on, just like that?"

Her brow furrowed in annoyance. "I moved on long ago."

Jacob Sinclair’s voice was firm. "I don’t believe you."

Claire Kendall: ’???’

As they stood at a stalemate, a cool, clear voice rang out from behind them.

"Let her go."

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